


The Fall of Hearts

by Angelwithtsw



Category: Some Like It Hot (1959)
Genre: 1920s, F/M, Gay Pride, M/M, Pansexual Character, Transgender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:54:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 41,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24521161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelwithtsw/pseuds/Angelwithtsw
Summary: Jerry/Daphne is confused. Osgood knows exactly what he wants but he's pretty sure he's about to lose what he worked so hard to get. These next few chapters will tell their story after the escape from the mob in Florida. This story will include several chapters that will be posted over time.Story title and chapter titles are inspired by the 2016 Katatonia album, The Fall of Hearts. The album came out when I first began working on this story. I have another variation of this story on fanfiction.net under my other screen name, fourismydoctor. It has the same title but over time, I have added a lot more to the story and taken a lot away.Now that I have completed this story, I am planning an epilogue and possibly a sequel or two. If you would like to see more Daphne and Osgood, let me know and please feel free to inspire me! ;)
Relationships: Jerry "Daphne"/Osgood Fielding III, Joe "Josephine"/Sugar Kane Kowalczyk
Comments: 12
Kudos: 23





	1. Old Heart Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne recounts what has happened since the big get away and tries to internalize her new life. She doesn't know how long she can lie to herself and those around her. Were things simpler when she was Jerry? Or is her life actually simpler now?

“I’m a man!”

“…Well, nobody’s perfect”

Jerry’s, or should I say, Daphne’s, mind never stopped playing those few seconds, over and over in her head. It was becoming an obsession. Why hadn’t she woken up from this strange dream yet?

She sat on the foot of her bed in her bedroom; one of the many rooms in Osgood’s vast mansion. She was still in awe over how big it was. She had a very large and oh so comfortable bed with furniture to match the wood of the headboard. She had a very spacious closet, which was filled with new outfits that Osgood had bought for her over the last few months. She even had her own adjoining bathroom.

She no longer had to share a bedroom with Joe. She no longer had to share a bathroom with what seemed like hundreds of people, like Jerry did when he and Joe lived in Chicago. Her new room itself was bigger than the entirety of their old apartment and she truly enjoyed the space.

Daphne moved in with Osgood a week after the grand escape, along with Joe and Sugar. They had nowhere else to go and Osgood’s place seemed as good as any. They spent a couple days living on the Yacht, hiding out so to speak, before they went ashore again. It was funny how Osgood never questioned Daphne’s claim to having extreme sea sickness, since she seemed to manage just fine on the tiny vessel. 

When they were back on land, Osgood allowed Joe and Sugar to have a room in his mansion too, until they could find something for themselves. Osgood couldn’t have cared less about ‘convention’. They stayed for some time, allowing the opportunity to truly get to know each other, and for Joe to find a decent job. They were married now and moved out into their own flat. Osgood and Daphne were married now too…

Ah yes, the wedding. It went on without a hitch; a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon, June 1, 1929. It was a small ceremony, just Daphne, Osgood, Sugar, Joe, the minister, and of course, Mrs. Fielding. Daphne wore the white lace wedding gown that once belonged to Mrs. Fielding. It was tailored to fit her frame, and it fit surprisingly well. Daphne felt awkward but Osgood thought she was gorgeous. 

Over the months before the big day, the wedding was brought up often, especially when Osgood and Daphne were actually alone. He knew she was really a man, but still wanted to marry her anyway and that part really confused Daphne. She could never get a straight answer out of him as to why the wedding was still going forward. She was also at a loss for words when trying to come up with a reason to not marry Osgood. The money was just too good to pass up, so she continued along with the plan. She certainly had no romantic feelings for Osgood so there was no chance of intimacy. 

At the ceremony, the vows were short and sweet. When the minister announced “I now pronounce you man and wife”, Daphne felt like toppling over. She wasn’t sure if it would be with a ferocious laugh or from blacking out. Instead, she turned her head slightly towards her new husband and gave him a fake smile. Osgood aimed to kiss her on the lips but Daphne turned her face as his came closer. Osgood wasn’t offended and just gave her a sweet peck on the cheek. Daphne blushed in exponential embarrassment. She wondered briefly if it was too late to run for the door. The minister looked confused at first but smiled on; he didn’t bother to question it. He had surly seen stranger things happen.

Sugar congratulated them both. She gave Daphne a huge hug and winked at her, knowing full well that she wasn’t really a she. Joe gave an awkward smile, kissed Daphne on the cheek and shook Osgood’s hand, the minister smiled, unaware of what really was under Daphne’s dress and Osgood’s mother thought it was a perfect match. She too was blissfully unaware but Daphne knew there was no way that Osgood’s mother didn’t question the arrangement at some point.  
The honeymoon hadn’t quite happened yet. It was Sunday, June 9th now, just over a week later, and Daphne could nearly count all of the times they had seen each other on one hand. They met for breakfast, luncheon and dinner, but that was about it. Sometimes they didn’t even meet for every meal, as Daphne would sometimes ask for lunch or breakfast in her room. Daphne didn’t really come out of her room, spending the day listening to the wireless or playing records, and drowning herself in alcohol. She was often back and forth to the door, double and triple checking that the lock was sound. 

Daphne knew Osgood had a reputation as a ‘lady’s man’ and as someone who was used to getting what they wanted. Hell, he managed to snag Daphne and convince her to marry him. She was just waiting for the day where Osgood might force himself upon her and she wouldn’t be able to fight him off. However, the more time that passed, Daphne wondered if her fears were irrational. Osgood never even so much as knocked to be let into her room. He completely left her alone which made her think differently about his ‘true’ needs in life. 

When Daphne did leave her room, she practically snuck out, escaping to Joe and Sugar’s flat. Joe was able to find a gig as a musician which had him traveling throughout the day. Daphne and sugar would spend the day together. She wanted to escape Osgood, but when they were apart, she came to find that he was all she ever really talked about, or thought about. You’d think Sugar could have sensed it, but being the ditzy girl that she was, she never questioned the strange relationship or Daphne’s incessant need to talk about him. 

When Daphne would sneak back home, she’d lock her door again and then end up pacing her room. The pacing usually went late into the night. She was sure she was going to wear permanent tracks into the carpet. What Daphne didn’t know was that sometimes, Osgood could hear her pacing. He’d approach her door, hear her heavy steps and hear her muffled words. He knew she was alone and he knew she was troubled. He’d leave her door, his mind swimming with what could possibly be troubling her, other than the obvious. 

Beyond the space, Osgood gave Daphne everything he thought she might have wanted. Every day for dinner, a new outfit arrived, boxed perfectly and with matching accessories. Daphne looked at each outfit in astonishment, when it arrived. They clearly cost Osgood a lot of money, but he didn’t seem to care. Nothing was too good for his new bride, especially the jewelry. She was given a beautiful diamond ring, as her wedding ring, diamond earrings the next evening, a diamond bracelet, to replace the original, which was now owned by Sugar, and so on.

Daphne still felt somewhat uncomfortable, if that was the right word, with everything that transpired since they got away from the hotel. Her face was in her hands as she envisioned that crazy and horrifying day in Florida. Escaping onto the motorboat was a relief, because she doubted they had any more chances left. Some of Daphne’s worries were over, except the obvious lie she was covering up. What Daphne had hoped was the ending to a charade that went way too far, was only the beginning of something even bigger.

Oddly enough, somehow, Daphne was not completely bothered by the twist that came. She was in shock at first, not sure she could be hearing him right, when Osgood said what he did. A man not caring that their fiancé just admitted to being a man? She felt him smile at her as she stared into the distance, in disbelief. What was a girl to do? 

Just four months ago, Jerry could have never imagined wanting to be in women’s clothing, even in private. He and Joe just knew they were desperate to get out of Chicago and away from the mobsters, at any cost. Everything just seemed so different now. Daphne tried to turn back into Jerry again, hoping it would like the flip of a light switch. Osgood happily paid for brand new suits, realizing Daphne wanted to try to be a man again.

Jerry wore the suits and tried his damnedest to appear as his old self. He wanted to be like Joe, and he was so envious of him. Not a trace of Josephine remained and he seemed so cool. Yet, Jerry found himself playing with his hair, swaying his hips and his voice rising and falling like he was going through puberty. 

He returned to his room one night and looked at himself in the mirror. He chanted “I’m a boy, I’m a boy…I’m a…..” and began to crumble in front of his reflection. He punched the mirror and it shattered into a thousand pieces. He fell to his knees and sobbed. Jerry died that night, surrounded by shards of glass, knuckles bleeding. He cried for his past that he could never reclaim but also for trying to mask the inevitable. 

The next morning, it was Daphne that came downstairs for breakfast. Everyone was already at the table and when she entered, they turned and were in awe. She paused for a moment, held her chin high and exclaimed ‘Just call me Daphne!’ No one needed to know of her inner struggle. Osgood’s smile stretched from ear to ear, Sugar also smiled, but Joe didn’t know what to say.  
That was months ago, but things hadn’t changed. The struggle was a daily mind game for Daphne. It wasn’t just about the way she dressed, the way she talked or the way she carried herself. The constant struggle was the fact that she was married to a man when she felt the only true female part of her was her mind. At least, that was how she felt when she thought about the marriage. 

Osgood was an eccentric man. He spent his lifetime living it up with lavish parties that went all night and into the next day. His fortune was abundant and he wasn’t afraid to spend it, especially on the several wives he took over his lifetime; all of which ended horrendously and with substantial pay-outs. I don’t want to say he was desperate to find a new wife, but he hoped for someone he could share his life with on an emotional level and on a romantic level. He may have been in his late 60’s, but every man still has his needs, and he was no different. The difference this time was he willingly married to a person who carried a body part that women did not have. I mean, he didn’t even flinch when he uttered the words ‘Nobody’s perfect’ in the motor boat when Daphne admitted her true sex. There must be some skeletons in the closet somewhere. 

Daphne got up from the bed and stood by the window. The house had a great view, out onto a large lake. The way she lived now was far different from the life she led in Chicago. Jerry and Joe were constantly strapped for cash. They never knew where their next meal was coming from, or if they were going to get a paycheck. Now Daphne ate a bountiful meal, three times a day and didn’t have to worry about money every again, as long as she stayed with Osgood. She thought of her changed prospects, sighed and turned away, catching herself in her vanity mirror.

She sat down and looked at her reflection, as she often did. Even in her own room, she would wear makeup, a little around the eyes, lipstick and some powder on her cheeks. She knew she didn’t have to impress Osgood anymore, but part of her wanted to look…beautiful. She fixed her hair, where the waves had lost their shape. She stopped wearing the wigs about a week or two before the wedding. She had let her jet black hair grow longer and it now curled around her ears and was starting to go down her neck. 

Was she happy? Frankly, she felt she was and had every reason to be. She was secured financially, she had a comfortable place to live and was bonded with someone who actually cared about her, which was something Jerry had been looking for but had yet to find. She turned her head from side to side; making sure her makeup was even, managed a small smile at her reflection and reached up to wipe away a smudge of eyeliner from under her eye. 

Just then, the bell sounded for dinner. Her heart skipped a beat and she swallowed hard. She didn’t necessarily dread the bell now; but the first night alone in the house, with Osgood, she did. The first night alone, with her husband, in that big house, was frightening. She spent the entire night in her bathroom with that door locked and bedroom door locked as well. The idea of getting physical with Osgood made her skin crawl. 

Tonight, however, she felt different. Osgood had been such a gentleman to her and she felt she was repaying him horribly, especially since they did not consummate their marriage on the night of their wedding. I mean, she couldn’t fathom getting in bed with the man and let Osgood see her completely naked. How do two men even make love…no wait, scratch that. Her eyes went wide at the thought, but then she shook her head and began to prepare herself for dinner. There was just something about this night that felt different to her. 

Osgood’s room…

Osgood looked at himself in the mirror as he straightened his bow tie. He had a smile on his face and a song in his heart as he threw on his tails. He ran his hands over his slicked back hair one more time and took a comb through, to make sure his hair was perfect. He didn’t want a single strand out of place. He was convinced that tonight was the night. He was going to stop at nothing to win his Daphne’s heart. He had the most romantic dinner planned, including wine on the veranda after the meal ended. 

Every moment he saw his Daphne felt like the first time to him. His heart nearly stopped each time and he went goose pimply all over. There was no woman that ever did that to him before, even though he knew all too well that Daphne wasn’t truly a woman. He didn’t care whether she was Daphne or whether he was Jerry. He just knew he fell in love the person who had walked up the front steps of the hotel that day. 

He spent his life trying to impress every woman he ever met with flashy expensive jewelry, high priced liquor, boating trips and endless sex. None of his marriages ever lasted and when he wasn’t married, he had a new woman in his bed almost every week, whether it was in his mansion, on his yacht or in a hotel. His last marriage ended in the summer of 1928, due to his mother’s intrusion. He vowed that his next and hopefully final marriage, would last the rest of his life. He wanted to know what it was like to be loved. He was usually ‘loved’ for his money and for what his money could buy. No one ever seemed to care about Osgood, himself. He longed for commitment, compassion, and sincerity; just plain and simple true love. 

He wanted Daphne to be the one. He wanted her to be the girl that gave him what he had been missing his entire life. He just knew he couldn’t force her to be what he needed. He vowed that if he couldn’t win over Daphne’s heart tonight, he was going let her go, for good. His smile faded for a brief second as he pictured her leaving, but he quickly erased that vision by shaking his head. He was convinced that Daphne wouldn’t leave him after tonight and he didn’t want to picture any other scenario. 

As he went to walk out the door, he turned to his reflection one last time. He gave himself a smile and took a deep breath. He needed all of the confidence in the world to conquer tonight. He then turned away and left his bedroom to put his plans in motion. 

Daphne’s room…

Daphne slipped on her new carmine red dress. It was lined with delicate lace that completely covered the front. It was one of Osgood’s gifts to her, earlier in the day. The dress was sleeveless, exposing her bare upper arms to the air. To cover her forearms, she put on black silk evening gloves. On her legs, she slid on black stockings that went up to her thigh, which she secured with garters. She was still amazed that she could find heals in her size, but slipped on simple black ones. 

She checked her makeup in the mirror again; making sure nothing was out of place. She put on a touch of eye liner, some red lipstick to match the dress and added some rouge to her cheeks…which made it easier to hide her blushes from Osgood. She certainly went out of her way to look good for her husband, despite hiding from him all day. He made her feel so confused and she hated him for it. 

She looked…pretty? She had to wonder what Osgood even saw in her, as she normally felt like a mess. She took a deep breath, took one more glance in the mirror and walked out of her room, shutting the door behind her. 

She went down the long hallway, to get to the staircase and stopped to look out the large window there. Lights reflected along the lake, and it seemed to make the entire world glow. The sun was just setting and the sky was gorgeous shades of reds and oranges. She had to admit, it certainly looked beautiful and it was, romantic. She wouldn’t mind sharing the view with her husband…then her eyes went wide at the thought and she mentally slapped herself. 

She shook her head and continued to round the corner, down another hallway. She felt like she had walked for miles before she came to the staircase. As she descended, she heard her heart pounding in her ears with each step she took. There seemed to be twice the amount of stairs as usual, as if she was descending the Eiffel Tower. Finally, she got to the bottom, took her last step down, and made her way towards the dining room.

She slowly entered the doorway to the dining room and noticed the room appeared to be on fire, from the glow of all of the candles. The chandelier was dimmed and the large French doors were opened, letting the comfortable evening air blow through. Beside her chair stood Osgood, face glowing, as usual, waiting to be a gentleman and help her into her chair. She blushed and walked to her seat. He sure looked handsome in his tails…did she just admit that to herself?!

“You look absolutely gorgeous tonight, Daphne” he said softly, with that ridiculously big smile. He held out his hand, to take hers, and she let him kiss it. Then he added, “Then again, you’re always gorgeous, my dear.”

“Thank you Osgood. You look nice yourself” Daphne said, voice small and cracking at the end.  
Osgood pushed in her chair as she sat and he maneuvered over to his seat, across from her. At each of their places was a cocktail glass, filled to the top with the makings for a Manhattan. Daphne thought of Sugar right away and smiled. She was glad Sugar and Joe were married and on their own. They deserved to be happy. However, in the moments where she was alone with Osgood, she desperately wished for their company in the large house. Everything was just so awkward now; painfully awkward. 

They each took a few sips of their drinks before either one of them spoke again. Osgood was the first to say anything, after the moment of silence, “What did you do today, my dear?”

Daphne admired his sincerity and she swallowed her drink “Oh…a little of this and a little of that…” she said with smile, though she really spent her time daydreaming and trying to figure out where her life was going. She didn’t even bother to escape to Joe and Sugar’s place for the afternoon “What about you, Osgood?” She said after taking another long sip of her drink.

“Ohh, I got a few chores done around the house, wrote some letters, called mother…she wants to know why we haven’t left on our honeymoon yet. I told her we haven’t decided on a location.” He chuckled and took another sip from his drink. Daphne just gave a slight smile and looked back down at her plate. The awkward silence returned for a few moments. 

“Is there anything you need? Clothes, jewelry, books, records…anything? I’d be happy to place an order in the catalog or run into town for you tomorrow!” Osgood said, sweetly.

Daphne looked back up at him as he began to speak and suddenly caught sight of his eyes. Maybe it was the alcohol going to her head, maybe it was the lighting, and how his eyes sparkled in candle light. His eyes were a gorgeous shade of blue and really seemed to shine tonight. She was taken aback by this realization and couldn’t take her eyes off of them. She could make out that his lips were moving, but whatever he was saying was silent to her, because all she could think about were those damn eyes…

“Daphne?” Osgood asked, wondering why she was suddenly in a trance like state. “Daphne!” He said again, louder this time. 

She shook out of it and was momentarily confused “Wh…what?”

He asked his question again; looking a little more serious this time “Is there anything I can order for you? Clothing, books, records…anything at all?”

“Oh, yea, sure…that would be fine. I’ll make a list tomorrow…thank you” She blushed and took a big sip from her cocktail.

Osgood nodded and motioned for the first course. Daphne had a feeling it was going to be a long night.


	2. Shifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne and Osgood finally discuss what has kept them both on edge since the wedding. Would letting Daphne go be better for the both of them? Is Daphne only staying for the money or there more to Osgood than she realizes?

The rest of the dinner went the same as the ones before it; three courses of awkward small talk. Daphne kept catching long glances at Osgood’s eyes when he wasn’t paying attention. Why couldn’t she take her eyes off of him tonight? What changed? Nothing was different in his appearance at all…but those damn eyes…they bore into her, like newly sharpened daggers. 

After all of the dished had been cleared, Osgood extended an invitation to his wife. “Say Daphne, how about we take in some of the wonderful night air out on the veranda? It’s too lovely of an evening to spend it cooped up inside!” He always spoke with such excitement and happiness, as if there wasn’t a sad bone in his body. 

“Sure, that sounds nice.” She said as she wiped the corners of her mouth with her napkin. She sat it down on the table and got up quietly. 

Osgood asked the butler to bring out two glasses of Moscato wine, a favorite of his, as he stood up. “I’ll be right there, darling!” he called to her.

Daphne turned slightly to acknowledge him and nodded her head. She went on outside and noted there was a white swing on the veranda, which sat two…but no other seating. This little detail seemed to evade her on previous occasions. There was always a plethora of chairs set out when there was a party, but when it was just the two of them, there was no need. She didn’t quite feel comfortable yet, sitting with him, alone, on the swing, so she chose to lean against the railing instead. 

She listened to the distant laughter and music at the place next door. She could tell there were parties all around the lake. She had been to some of the neighbors’ parties before. Osgood always kept her within arm’s reach while he introduced her to everyone. He didn’t believe anyone was the wiser, but Daphne was convinced she couldn’t continue to fool everybody. Surprisingly, no one had yet to question her, out loud that is. She always had a good time and nearly all of the women welcomed her with open arms. They were very good at convincing her to drink with them and oddly enough, she felt like she fit in better with the women than she ever could have with the men.

Osgood threw a couple of parties after Daphne moved in, when Joe and Sugar were still living with them. They had a party last Thursday, in fact. It was a celebration of their up and coming wedding, and to have all of their friends nearby. Daphne got belligerently drunk, in part because she was excited for the future and in part because she wanted to forget what she had become. She purposely looked for every cocktail she could get her hands on that night. At one point, she managed to get into the pool, drinking straight from a whiskey bottle, and was belting out the words to ‘Singin’ in the Rain’. Sugar ended up pulling her out, hoping Osgood hadn’t seen the spectacle, and got her inside to dry off. 

Daphne spent the rest of the early morning on her bathroom floor, with sugar by her side. When she wasn’t leaning into the porcelain bowl, she was curled up in a ball, head in Sugar’s lap, bawling. Sugar soothed her until the sun was just on the horizon and then she was able to get her into bed. Daphne suspected she had alcohol poisoning, but because Sugar kept quiet, Osgood never found out. She was a sight for sore eyes when she awoke, but Osgood believed her when she said it was just from lack of sleep and a regular hangover. She was thankful she had a day to recuperate before the wedding.

When her mind came back to the present, part of her wanted to run away that very moment, hide in the crowd of people next door, where Osgood couldn’t find her. She wanted to get well beyond poisoned and just go jump in the lake. However, the other part of her, wanted Osgood to come up behind her, snake his arm around her waist, and hold her tight…

Her thoughts were broken by Osgood coming up to her left side, “Here’s your wine, Daphne” he and pushed the glass in her direction. Daphne jumped slightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you!” Osgood said with a chuckle. 

“It’s alright.” Daphne said and happily took the glass from him.

Jerry was used to strong cocktails or drinking straight up, but rarely ever drank wine. She thanked him and took a small sip. It was sweet and she liked the taste. Obviously her alter ego had different tastes in drinks. She turned back to the lake as she heard splashing and laughter from party-goers who probably had more to drink than they should have. It was just a bit passed 9:00 now and she was envious of them. 

Osgood kept looking at her face; searching for her, like she was miles away and Daphne could feel his eyes on her. He was waiting for her to say something, anything, but she remained silent. She just continued to look away, hoping he would move away from her. 

“It’s a beautiful out tonight, isn’t it? If only we had a full moon in the sky.” he said to break the silence and let his words trail off. 

It took her a few seconds to register that he had actually spoken to her “Hmmm? Oh, yes, a full moon would be nice.” She responded as she took another sip, not turning to look at him, but continued to look out, to whatever might be beyond the lake.

“It sounds like the people next door are having a lot of fun” he said, obviously just trying to get her to talk, to say anything at all, “We should throw another party soon!”

Again, it took her a few moments to realize that she heard Osgood speak “Yea…maybe.” she said with not even the slightest bit of interest in her voice. She realized she came across harsh, but she couldn’t make those words come out any other way. 

Osgood hung his head and sauntered over to the swing, which hung from the awning. He ran his hand along the arm rest and pushed on it gently; letting the swing sway and squeak, which momentarily shook Daphne from her thoughts. She was glad that he had walked away from her but she could tell that something about him had changed, even though she wasn’t looking at him.  
“Daphne…” he said as he sat down on the swing “…or…Jerry, if you’d prefer it, are you happy here?”

She looked down at her glass and then turned her body to face him, though still refused to look at him. She leaned her back against the railing now as she ran her finger along the rim of the glass. “Why do you ask?”

“You’ve been very distant since Sugar and Joe moved out, and even more so, since the wedding. I know this was a wedding of convenience for you. I hoped you might change your mind and that maybe you could like me, as I like you, but I know I can’t expect that. I can’t force you to feel that way.” He stopped and looked down at his own glass, then looked back up, “I fell hard for you, but I’m prepared to let you go. I don’t expect you to stick around if you’re not happy. No marriage should be based around falsities like that. If you want me to set you free, I’ll be happy to oblige. Just say the words, we’ll get a divorce and I’ll give you a generous settlement to keep you comfortable. I’m not sore; I promise. I could never dislike you.”

Daphne had finally lifted her head to look at him at that point but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She just watched the man in front of her; nearly break in two while giving that speech. He was willing to give up his happiness to let Daphne go back to being Jerry and have a life that made more sense. Osgood looked defeated and utterly heartbroken but hid it behind a cheerful façade. Daphne felt so ashamed and just hung her head. She hadn’t credited Osgood for having any feelings, beyond lust. 

He stood up “It’s ok, we’ll get a divorce in the morning and you can be on your way. I wish you all of the happiness in the world, Jerry, truly.” Osgood said with a small smile on his face. 

She looked up at him and noticed the brightness in his eyes had faded now, and that broke her heart. She finally found the courage to speak up, but didn’t want to face him, so she turned back towards the railing again.

“I’m sorry Osgood; I just don’t know what I want right now. When we first met, and you asked me to marry you, I agreed because I knew I would be set for life. I’d be living it up in a mansion, surrounded by money and all of the booze I wanted, not to mention going to lavish parties and getting a chance to meet women I would have never had a chance with in Chicago.” She paused to take a sip of her drink “It was wrong of me to even think about using you so selfishly, for my own satisfaction.”

She could feel Osgood’s eyes watching her and then she heard his footsteps come closer. He stopped at the railing and stood to her left. He leaned over the railing and looked out towards the lake too.

“I’ve enjoyed your company, regardless of the reason. It gets pretty lonely here.” he said softly. 

“It’s been great, having a sense of security that I never had before, ya know? I haven’t had to worry about where I was going to get my next meal or whether I was going to have to sleep under a bridge. I’m one of the lucky ones, I guess.” She scoffed.

“I’m glad I was able to give you that sense of security, Jerry. It’s a feeling I’ve always know, but anytime I can give that to someone else, I feel like I’ve made good in the world, somehow.” He added solemnly and kept his eyes on the lake below. 

“You can still call me Daphne…Osgood” she said and turned her head to look at him. 

He turned to look at her and gave a brief smile. “Ok, Daphne.” He patted her hand and then that quickly pulled it away from her and looked away again. It was the first touch that Osgood gave her that didn’t make her feel repulsed or dirty.

“I just have a lot to work out? I don’t think I know what I want out of life, not yet. I thought I did, until four months ago.” She tipped her head back to finish the wine. 

“As the world changes, people change.” Osgood said. Whether that was a statement about himself, or about Daphne, she wasn’t sure. 

“I really am sorry Osgood, truly.” She looked at him briefly and he still kept looking straight ahead.

“Don’t be sorry Daphne; I’ve enjoyed spending this time with you. You’re a truly unique person and I will always cherish the time we had together.” He spoke sweetly and patted her hand again.

He pushed himself away from the railing and rang a little bell. The butler came out onto the veranda a few moments later and Osgood handed him his empty glass. Then the butler walked over and asked for Daphne’s glass. She handed it over and watched as the butler disappeared into the darkness that was now the dining room. A great comparison to the way Osgood’s heart probably felt like right now. She turned back to Osgood and he was extending his arm out to her. She laced her arm with his and he walked her back into the house, through the dining room and to the staircase. He was still such a gentleman. 

They were silent as he walked her up the stairs to her bedroom door. He opened the door for her and held his hand out, showing she could enter. “Well…Good night!” he said, with obvious sadness in his voice, though trying to hide it. Daphne turned to him. His eyes were so sad now and she felt herself beginning to crack. 

Daphne paused for a moment and then, without giving it a second though, she stepped forward and embraced Osgood. It completely caught him by surprise but he happily put his arms around her. It took all of the power he could muster not to cry right then and there, to pull her to him as tight as possible and never let her go; to beg her to remain with him. He managed to hold his composure well. 

The hug was brief, but it seemed to make Osgood feel better. Daphne could have sworn she heard him whisper ‘thank you’ in her ear, though she could have easily imagined it. She pulled away after a moment and he let go of her. 

“Good night” she said, with a little smile and then she turned to walk into her bedroom. 

Osgood smiled back at her, though with not as big of a smile as he showed her many times before. He turned around and walked on down the hall. She paused to watch him as he left. He put his hands in his pockets and sighed as he rounded the corner. She heard him sniff when he was out of sight and she hoped to god that she hadn’t made him cry. 

She walked into her room and shut the door softly with her back up against it. Her heart suddenly ached for Osgood. The world was changing, but clearly not as fast as Daphne’s mind was. She had broken the spirit of such a kind man, yet she felt like she broke her own heart in the process. When they first met on the porch of the hotel, she was repulsed by him and wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. Now her she was, feeling sorry for him and hating herself at the same time. 

She shook out of it for a moment and made a point to change out of her clothes and at least try get comfortable for the evening. Her mind continued to race, as she stripped from her dinner clothes, with images of Osgood’s smile and his gorgeous eyes dancing around her head. As her clothing slid down her body, she could have sworn she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around, but to her dismay, she found she was, in fact, alone. ‘Get a hold of yourself, Daphne’ she said under her breath as she felt like she was beginning to lose it.

She walked into her bathroom and over to the lion-claw tub. She sat on the edge as she turned on the water and put the stopper in. As she let the tub fill, she walked over to the sink and looked in the mirror; she hated her reflection right now. She opened the medicine cabinet, so she couldn’t stare back at herself, with disdain, while preparing to brush her teeth. 

She looked in the cabinet and caught sight of an item on the bottom shelf. A package of safety razor blades was staring back at her. She went to a dark place just then, picturing herself being found lifeless in a pool of deep red water, Osgood clutching her lifeless form to his body. It would be an easy way out, without having to give an explanation. She shook her head and slammed the cabinet quickly. My god, what the hell was this, Romeo and Juliet?!

She went about gathering what she needed to clean her teeth for the night. A few moments later she rinsed her mouth out with water, to get rid of the extra toothpaste and washed off her toothbrush before putting it back in the holder. The mirror was taunting her again, as she looked up, and she resisted the urge to smash it. 

She walked back over to the tub and shut the water off. She swung her right leg over the side first, followed by her left. The warm water felt nice against her skin as she lowered herself into the tub. She briefly thought that Osgood would have felt even better against her skin and her eyes went wide at the thought. She shook her head again as she finished her descent into the water. 

She let her head lull back against the tub and she tried her damndest to relax. However, no matter how hard she tried, she still felt ridged and clammy. She couldn’t stop thinking about Osgood. It was starting to destroy her. She could still feel his warmth from the hug just moments ago and she found herself wrapping her own arms around her form. 

She let go of herself and hit the water with her fist. It splashed up in her face and she heard some hit the floor. She was frustrated with herself and suddenly, her anger turned to pure sadness as her eyes welled up with tears. She covered her face with her hands and she began to sob; the tears streaming down her face as she curled into herself. She was thankful his room was so far away from hers, so he couldn’t hear her crying for him. 

OSGOOD’S ROOM:

His heart was heavy as he headed towards his bedroom. He knew he was doing the right thing by letting Daphne leave and go where she was more comfortable. He felt like he had forced her into an unfair situation and he hated himself for allowing it to happen. He felt like he had been so selfish. 

He closed his bedroom door behind him and he sat down on his bed. He felt as if he had forgotten how to smile, and sighed to try to overcome his overwhelming sadness. He looked over at his bed side table and caught sight of a photo that was in delicately detailed frame. He picked it up and brought it closer to him.

They hadn’t received their wedding picture yet but they did have one photo together. He, Daphne, Sugar and Joe had all gone to a fair in the city. Daphne had had a few drinks and was very high spirited. She ended up dragging him into a photo booth and they had their photo taken. He thought back to that night and remembered how happy she was. He had hoped it would be a turning point for them, but he realized now that he was wrong.

He frowned as he put the photo back on his night stand and then forced himself to get up and head towards his bathroom. He undressed and folded his clothes neatly on the chair at the vanity. He turned the shower on and when the water was warm enough, he stepped in and shut the shower door behind him. The water felt nice against his skin and he briefly thought about how nice it felt to have Daphne against him. When she put her arms around him just moments ago, he wished so badly that she wouldn’t have pulled away. 

He wrapped his arms around his frame and let himself lean against the shower wall. No matter what he did, he just couldn’t stop thinking about Daphne and how much he wanted her, how much he loved her. Thinking of the few short months they spent together brought a smile to his face, but also brought tears to his eyes. He let his head rest against the tiles on the wall as he cried for his Daphne. He was grateful for the fact that their rooms were so far apart so she couldn’t hear him crying for her. 

DAPHNE’S ROOM:

She had no idea how long she cried over Osgood. She just knew her heart ached for him now, which in turn actually made her chest hurt. She spent too much time in her own head the past few days and it was quickly over taking her. She reached for her towel and dried her face, realizing the water had started to turn cold. Clearly she had sat in that tub far longer than she originally thought. So she stood up, wrapped her towel around her waist, and eased out over the side. She shivered as the cool air touched her skin.

She dried off properly and glanced up at the mirror again to look at herself. Oh how she wanted that mirror to shatter into a thousand pieces. She was still too ashamed to take a proper look. She walked into her room and took her pajamas off the bed where she had laid them out. Osgood had bought her a pair of silk pajamas, a few days before the wedding, which were so soft and delicate to the touch. They were peach in color, with thin pink vertical stripes. She wore them every single night. She smoothed her hand over the material, and again, thought of Osgood and how kind he was to her, how NO ONE had ever been so kind to her. 

She slipped into the pant bottoms and then pulled the loose-fitting top down over her head. She sat down at her vanity to wipe off the remainder of her makeup from her face, which was now trailing down her cheeks. She scrubbed hard, until her face was nearly rubbed raw and red. She just wanted something, anything, to take her mind off of Osgood. A bottle of vodka sounded so wonderful at this point. 

After her face was cleaned, she ran her brush through her hair, as the ends had gotten wet. When she finished, she turned away from her mirror and got up to walk to her bed. She flipped the light switch, plunging her room into darkness. She came to her bed, pulled the duvet down first and then pulled the sheets down so she could slide in under them. 

She laid her head down on her pillow and stared up at the ceiling. Silhouettes danced along the ceiling as the parties below continued into the late hours. Her bed was comfortable and she wanted to close her eyes to sleep but she was still so restless. 

OSGOOD’S ROOM:

Osgood lifted himself from his shower wall and placed himself back underneath the stream of water. He wiped the tears from his cheeks and finished bathing himself. He wasn’t sure how long he stood in the shower, but when he turned off the water and emerged from behind the door, he realized the room was in a complete fog. He reached for his towel to dry himself off and then made his way towards the mirror. 

He wiped the fog away from the glass and his image soon appeared. He studied his face, instantly being drawn to his eyes. They were red and swollen from crying and he felt embarrassed. He never cried over a woman before. The several divorces he had never made him shed one tear. He always carried on and found someone new to be with. 

Things were different now. He had met his match in Daphne and thinking he was about to lose her absolutely broke his heart. He wrapped his towel around his waist, ran a comb through his hair and then brushed his teeth for the night; trying to shake the sad thoughts from his mind. 

When he finished in the bathroom, he turned the lights off and headed back into his bedroom. He had wished time and time again that Daphne would just magically appear in his bedroom, giving herself up to him. Yet, every single night, Osgood retired to his bedroom, alone. He made his way over to his bed and grabbed for his pajamas. He slipped into them and looked over to a small table by his armoire where he kept a decanter of whiskey. He went to the dresser, picked up a glass and poured himself a shot worth of Old Forester. 

He normally sipped his whiskey, but tonight he wanted an instant effect. He wanted to fall fast into a deep sleep, a place where he could at least dream of having his Daphne. So he took it back fast and sat the glass back down on the platter with a firm clank. He let his head fall back and his eyes went shut, just for a brief moment. The warmth of the whiskey spread through his body and he imagined Daphne coming up behind him, sneaking her hands around his waist and resting her chin on his shoulder. He damned his imagination. 

He sighed again, and turned to walk over to his bed. He pulled back the covers and crawled in. He settled down against his pillows and stared up for a moment or two. He watched the shadows dance across his ceiling. The figures reminded him of he and his Daphne, dancing the night away on the day they met; the day that changed his life forever. He felt the tears forming in his eyes again, and he squeezed them tight, trying to make it stop. 

He rolled over on his left side, trying to get more comfortable. He uttered under his breath “I love you, Daphne” and tried to force himself into a deep sleep. 

DAPHNE’S ROOM:

She looked over at her clock, after what had only seemed like a few moments of restlessness, to see that it was just 10 minutes until midnight. Her mind sure had a way of speeding up time. 

She sighed with frustration and sat up. She thought a drink of water might help her sleep, but then she remembered that she had a small flask of whiskey in her nightstand drawer. Of course, it was another present from Osgood. She opened the drawer and pulled it out. She quickly twisted the cap off and took a swig from the bottle. She never had liquor that tasted this fine in Chicago. Then again, it wasn’t like she could afford the good stuff, drinking whatever Jerry could get from a guy down the hall instead. That stuff was both strong and disgusting at the same time but the fact that it was strong was the important part. The whiskey Osgood was able to get was pure heaven in a bottle. 

After finishing the tiny flask, she set it on her nightstand and got up to look out the window. Moving around might get the alcohol flowing through her system faster, she thought. She watched as a few streaking party goers ran by next door and she laughed. It sure looked like fun. She watched out the window for the longest time, waiting for the liquor to take effect. 

That was when she realized she felt lighter and her eye lids had trouble remaining open. Finally, her mind seemed clear and she knew sleep might actually come. She swayed slightly as she walked back over to her bed. She pulled the duvet down and brought the sheet up to cover her form. She finally felt relaxed enough to get some sleep and sure enough, within minutes she was out.


	3. Pale Flag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do our dreams really mean anything or are they just residual thoughts thrown together? Daphne's about to realize there's something hiding in her subconsious that never once made it's presence known, until now.

Daphne found herself on a pier, similar to the one in Florida where Osgood’s motor boat was docked. Right now though, the pier seemed like it was a million miles long. How did she end up back here with no memory of even traveling? That thought left her mind as she focused more on her surroundings. She quickly realized she was surrounded by hundreds of strangers who were cheering and waving at something behind her. 

When she finally turned around, she saw there was a huge cruise ship behind her. The crowd continued to grow, while still cheering and waving. Her eyes searched the deck, but not a soul was in sight. She turned to the woman who was standing nearest to her and asked who they were waving to. The woman, bearing a striking resemblance to Sweet Sue, looked at her, smiled and without speaking, turned back to the ship and continued to wave at the vessel. This is too strange. 

Daphne turned back to see a lone figure finally appear on the stern of the ship. She squinted and held her hand up to her brow as the sun was blinding. When her eyes were finally able to focus on the person, she went wide-eyed. There stood Osgood, plain as day, looking down at everyone.

So many questions ran through her head, the main one being, where was he going and why wasn’t she on board the ship with him? As she looked on, Osgood never once broke his eye contact from her. He didn’t speak or motion for her, just continued to watch her from above. He was smiling at her yet her face probably showed confusion and sadness. She couldn’t make sense of the situation. 

Then a loud horn sounded, letting everyone know the ship was about to cast off. Daphne felt sudden panic and yelled to Osgood to stop the ship from leaving. She wanted to go with him, wherever he was going and couldn’t understand how they got separated. However, he didn’t budge from his place or open his mouth to speak a word; he just continued to look down at her. 

The horn sounded again and smoke bellowed from above. She realized the ship was slowly pulling away from the pier and out to sea. She yelled for Osgood again, this time, frantically moving her arms to get his attention. How could he be leaving without her? She knew he could see her but why was he ignoring her pleas? 

As the ship set sail, his body seemed to get smaller and smaller. She continued to shout for him to come back. She began to push herself through the crowd, frantically, trying to catch up with the vessel. The crowd kept growing and they continued cheering and waving like nothing was wrong. She could hardly find the strength to push herself beyond the horde and she felt the panic rise inside of her. 

Finally she reached the edge of the pier, nearly losing her balance and falling into the ocean below. When she caught herself, she looked up, with pure horror on her face. She watched as his body turned away from the railing and disappeared on the boat deck. She was screaming now, for Osgood to forgive her and to come back because she loved him, but the ship was too far away now. Tears came streaming down her face as she choked out her words. She continued to yell but the sound of the horn bellowing from the ship seemed to get louder and louder, almost as if it was thundering. Then, from out of nowhere, a bright light flashed and she was blinded…

Daphne sat up in bed and choked out some unintelligible words into the night air. She was in a cold sweat and her cheeks were wet with tears. She tried to catch her breath but found she couldn’t stop crying. Her eyes searched her room frantically, trying to figure out where she was. She was so relieved to find she was in her own bedroom and that nothing in her dream had transpired. 

Suddenly her room lit up with a flash of light and a loud rumble soon followed. She realized a storm had worked its way into her dream, trying to urge her awake. She whispered to herself to calm down and tried to take some slow deep breaths. The tears stopped falling and the heavy feeling in her chest was beginning to let up. 

When she finally calmed down, she got up, and walked over to the window. She was a bit uneasy on her feet after nearly hyperventilating to calm herself down. She opened the window and looked down at the ground below. Not a soul was in sight, which accounted for the eerie silence. Every time the lightning flashed, she could see the clouds rolling in and she could see the rain in the distance. 

She brought her hands up to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. She took in another deep breath and slowly let it out; she was still on edge. She shut the window, latched it and then walked into her bathroom. She chose not to turn on the light as she grabbed her glass and filled it with water. She took small sips and continued her deep breaths in between. When she felt she had enough water, she dumped the rest of it down the sink and left the bathroom. 

She then walked back over towards her bed. She picked up her clock and as the lightning flashed again, she could read that it was just past 3 in the morning. She set it back down and crawled back into bed, wanting to return to her slumber. However, she couldn’t bring herself to lie down. 

She felt an overwhelming wave of sadness creep over her just then and she brought her knees to her chest. She held herself tight as her mind wandered back to the memory of her nightmare. She began to cry again as she thought of Osgood disappearing out of her life, forever. She lowered her face into her knees and began to sob.

Jerry would never have cried over a woman who left him, but here Daphne was, emotional like a little school girl, over a man she was trying to force herself not to fall for. She just couldn’t make herself calm down. How could she completely disregard her growing feelings for this man? Osgood truly deserved so much better than her, this selfish and childish Daphne. She spoke his name under her breath and then choked out ‘I…I…lo…love…you’ and absolutely lost it.

She allowed herself to cry until she ran out of tears and by that point, she just felt numb. She reached for her handkerchief, on her nightstand, to wipe her swollen eyes. Of course, the handkerchief was another present from Osgood. She just couldn’t escape him, no matter what she did. She looked at that damned handkerchief for a moment, studying it, blindly. Then, she looked up, into the darkness that was her room, as if she had an epiphany. 

She knew now that she needed to speak her mind somehow, but she just couldn’t think of the words she needed to say. Jerry was always wishy washy when it came to speaking his mind. Becoming Daphne changed that and the words just seemed to flow from her, yet suddenly she was petrified. Neither Jerry, nor Daphne, ever dealt with love before, well, not true love anyway. 

She realized she needed to grow some balls, metaphorically of course, since the literal ones already existed, and express her feelings to him. No matter how hard she was trying to hide from him, she was obviously falling for Osgood. She wanted him to know that she bitterly regretted taking advantage of him and for abusing his emotions. Money was the last thing on her mind right now. 

In Osgood’s house she knew she could be whatever she wanted to be and he would still love her unconditionally because that’s just the kind of person he was. Osgood certainly was one in a million. Like she said to Joe in Florida as they hurried to pack, ‘I will never find another man who's so good to me’. Osgood was the one. 

She lifted her head and kicked her legs over the side of the bed. As her feet touched the floor, lightning flashed again and loud thunder followed soon after. She felt like her courage was growing just as the storm was moving closer. She wiped away the last of the tears with the handkerchief and then wiped her nose. She fanned her eyes to dry them, hoping to make them appear less red and puffy. She took another deep breath, let it our quickly and nodded to herself, like she was saying ‘you’ve got this’ for motivation.

She got up off the bed and put her robe around her frame. She slid her feet into her slippers and looked up towards her vanity mirror. Her reflection showed briefly as the lightning flashed and she felt like she even looked stronger. She took a deep breath as her nerves were beginning to break through the surface again. She rolled her shoulders back and held her head high. She walked up to her bedroom door, opened it, and walked out with a lot more confidence than she had shown in months.


	4. Serac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne's on her way to Osgood's room. Will her courage wane before she gets to the door or can Daphne finally stand up for her true self?

Daphne walked down the hallway to get to Osgood’s room, and as she did so, lightning lit the way. The rumbles echoed through the house and she shivered at the feeling. Osgood’s bedroom wasn’t very far away from hers, but in this moment, it felt like it would take an eternity to get there. She felt like she was shrinking with every step she took and the hallway seemed to grow by the mile. 

Her fears were creeping back and telling her to turn around, go down the stairs and walk out into the storm, never to be seen by Osgood again. She stopped dead in her tracks and mentally kicked herself for even suggesting it. She needed to do this, to speak her peace and ease her own mind. She felt the butterflies rise in her throat and she swallowed hard as she finally approached his door. 

She knew he was most likely asleep by now, unless the storm had awakened him. She reached for the door knob, hesitantly, and turned it slowly. She heard the slight click and then began to push the door open as quietly as possible. Luckily for her, his bedroom door made virtually no noise as it came away from the frame that surrounded it.

She poked her head through the opening when she had the door opened wide enough, and looked for Osgood’s bed. The lightning flashed again as she turned her head, and she quickly found his form under the covers. He slept on the left side of his bed, just like Daphne did. He was turned over on his left side with one arm under the pillow and the other arm tucked up along his side. 

As quietly as possible, she slid her body through the door and then turned to close it. She turned back around and froze just as a loud crack of thunder shook the house. Osgood shifted slightly but remained sound asleep. When he stopped moving, Daphne came closer so she could have a better look at him. She could just make out the details on his face in the dark as she approached him. He was fast asleep and any sadness that his face showed hours ago was now washed away. He looked completely peaceful, as if Daphne hadn’t just broken his heart. 

She suddenly registered the sound of rain drops hitting the French doors in his room. It made her think back to her dream and how her tears ran down her face in the same manner. Her eyes welled up again and she put her hand to her mouth as her breath caught in her throat. She certainly didn’t want Osgood to wake up and find her standing over him, crying.

In that moment, Daphne thought back to their simple embrace after dinner. The warmth he exuded made her yearn to feel it again. So, she tiptoed around his bed and made the decision to join him under the covers. Even if he ended up throwing her out, it was better to spend a few seconds beside him, than to be without him at this point. She slid her feet out of her slippers and slowly pulled her robe down off of her body, letting it fall to the floor. 

Daphne reached for the blanket and pulled it down slowly, as not to pull it off of Osgood. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, louder this time, when it wasn’t covered up by the rumbling outside. She couldn’t believe she was actually doing this. The rain was falling heavier now and it helped drown out any small noise she made. It was soothing, really, and calmed some of her nerves. Slowly, she sat down on the empty side of Osgood’s bed and brought her legs up so she could swiftly slide them under the covers. 

She noted how comfortable his bed was. The sheets must have been satin and they were cool on her skin. Somehow, this eased her nerves even more and her confidence grew. She sunk down against the pillows and turned onto her left side, as slowly as possible. She lay still, keeping a good distance between them and studied the back of him each time the room was illuminated. 

She realized she hadn’t stopped smiling from the second she crawled into his bed. She’s not sure if she was smiling because she was actually happy or if it was because Osgood had no idea his wife was lying right behind him. She listened to the way his breathing sounded while he slept. The rain covered up some of it but what she could hear soothed her immensely. 

After some time, she finally decided to take the plunge and shift closer to Osgood. She took her time and held her breath as she did so. He hadn’t woken up from the storm but she imagined her smallest little movement waking him from his sound sleep. When she was nearly right up against him, the lightning flashed and she could see he was wearing deep red satin pajamas, which were almost identical in color to his red satin sheets. 

He must have taken a shower before going to bed because she could see his hair was still a bit damp. He smelled like a mild soap, maybe even talcum powder, but mostly just everything truly Osgood. There was just no other way for her to describe it, maybe an intoxicating musk, if anything. All Daphne knew was the more she thought about it, the more it entranced her. 

The combination of the rain falling against the French doors and the roof, along with Osgood’s shallow breathing, was beginning to make Daphne feel tired. The storm may have been raging on outside, but inside, everything was quite the opposite. 

Daphne finally allowed herself to gently press her body against Osgood so she was nearly flush against him, spooning his form. She almost let out a sigh of relief when she noticed he still hadn’t moved, even with another body pressed against his. She nuzzled into his neck and she felt the cool dampness of his hair against her forehead; it felt so nice. She brought her right arm underneath the blanket and gently wrapped it around Osgood’s middle. 

After she did so, he finally stirred a bit and Daphne held her breath. She didn’t make a sound and lay as still as possible. Luckily, he only shifted slightly and made a small moaning noise in his sleep. Daphne gently breathed out again when she realized he was back to being still. She was grateful that she was married to what was probably the world’s soundest sleeper and she chuckled at her own stupid joke, quietly.

She held him close but didn’t pull too tight as to startle him. He deserved to be handled gently, after doing so many kind things for Daphne. Most people assume that women are the only ones who want to be cuddled. However, Daphne, and what was left of Jerry, knew full well that sometimes a man just likes to be held by his partner and be assured that everything is going to be ok. She knew Osgood would be no different, after seeing what that simple hug, outside of her bedroom earlier, did to his spirits.

She knew he would be shocked to find her in his bed when he woke up, but she hoped it would be a happy shock and that made her smile against the back of his neck. ‘God he smells so good’, she thought to herself. She could still see flashing light through her closed eyelids but the rain wasn’t falling so hard outside now and his breathing sounded louder. It was shallow, yet light at the same time; much like a lullaby that she didn’t want to end. 

She gently pressed her lips against the back of his neck; the closest she had ever gotten to giving him any kind of kiss. Then she whispered softly, “I really do love you, Osgood”. She finally admitted it out loud and within earshot of Osgood; something a part of her had been screaming from behind closed doors for months; a phrase, which had been over shadowed by doubt and fear. She nuzzled her face back against his neck, but as she did so, she felt him stir again. 

Daphne froze instantly, but this time, Osgood didn’t settle back down. A wave of embarrassment ran through her and she went into a sudden cold sweat. She realized Osgood was about to wake up and find her nuzzled against him in the middle of the night. She felt like bolting right that minute, but didn’t dare move. Then, she felt his hand come up and touch hers, clearly trying to figure out what was around his waist. 

When Osgood realized what he was touching, he turned quickly so he could try to see who it was. “What is…Daph…Jerry? Is that you?” He asked, voice cracking. Just then, lightning lit up the room and he jumped in surprise. He leaned over, turned on his bedside lamp and then turned back to his surprise companion. 

Osgood was still in disbelief as he rubbed his eyes. He had to be dreaming. What would Daphne be doing in his bed, after she made it very clear that she didn’t want to be with him? He felt like his mind was playing a cruel trick on him and he hated it. 

Daphne wasn’t sure what to say at first. She almost felt too embarrassed to speak but she was able look him in the face. “You…you can still call me Daphne, Osgood…” she said, almost under her breath. 

Oddly enough, those few simple words clearly seemed to cheer Osgood up. He quietly cleared his throat, “Well then, to what do I owe this lovely surprise, Daphne?” he asked with a gentle smile. 

Daphne seemed to struggle with the right words and fumbled with the hem of her night shirt. After some time, Osgood realized he wasn’t going to get a clear answer from her with the light on. He could sense her anxiety, and he could tell she felt vulnerable. So, he turned back over to switch the light off. Then he settled back down with a slight groan, facing her again.

“Don’t be nervous. I don’t bite…much” Osgood joked, trying to lighten the mood. 

Thunder rumbled soon after he spoke and Daphne felt like the thunder rumbled right in through her heart. She didn’t plan on Osgood waking up and she hadn’t been prepared to give any answers for her strange appearance, not yet anyway. So, she just sat in silence, not sure what to say that would even make sense, and played with her fingers. 

“Is something wrong, Daphne?” Osgood asked, his mood clearly shifting.

She still said nothing in return. Not a single answer could come to her mind. She had a lump in her throat and she almost wanted to cry.

“What is it? Please tell me.” Osgood said, shifting a bit closer, showing he was concerned. 

Finally, she swallowed hard and choked out “I…needed to…come find you”. She said it so softly that he could hardly understand her. 

“You needed to come find me?” he asked, making sure he heard her right.

She didn’t look up but gave a simple nod as a response. 

"What do you mean, Daphne?” He asked, still very puzzled. 

Daphne didn’t want to meet his eyes, but she could see, out of the corner of her eye, his form light up again as lightning flashed outside the window. Osgood moved his hand to touch hers, showing that she had no reason to be afraid. She jumped at first, but then smiled and her courage came back, slowly. 

“I want…I…” She paused to sigh and regroup “Would you hold me Osgood, please? I just…I…I need to know, to feel, that you’re here.” She said with anxiety in her voice, realizing her request probably sounded strange. She still couldn’t bring herself to look at him because she feared he would reject her. 

Rejection was clearly the last thing on Osgood’s mind. He smiled so big and he squeezed her hand softly. Daphne finally looked up at him and the gigantic smile on his face made her smile on the inside. It honestly melted her heart to see it.

Osgood answered softly, “Of course I’ll hold you; you don’t need to ask me, Daphne! Come here, sweetheart.” 

Daphne almost couldn’t believe that he accepted her request. She felt like crying because she realized Osgood still loved her unconditionally. She avoided him like the plague for the past week, yet the first time she came to him, he acted as if nothing was ever amiss.

He rolled to lie on his back, inviting her to lay her head on his chest. As she lowered herself, his right arm came around her back and Daphne wrapped her right arm around his middle. Osgood brought his other hand up to run gently along her arm as he held her close. 

“Thank you, Osgood” she whispered softly against his chest. 

“Anything for you, Daphne” Osgood said softly and gave her a gentle squeeze. 

Daphne smiled as she listened to his heartbeat and gave him a gentle squeeze in return. Daphne couldn’t see it, but Osgood was smiling too. Osgood ran his hand in circles along her back to sooth her. She felt herself becoming tired again, knowing she was now in the arms of the man she was growing to love. She gave him one more squeeze and then allowed herself to begin to fade. She felt Osgood’s lips gently press against the top of her head and she realized she never felt so warm and loved before.

Osgood soon heard her breathing even out and he knew she had finally fallen asleep. Whatever it was that frightened her so much, to want to come to his room in the middle of the night, he was thankful for it. He let his cheek lull against the top of her head and he closed his eyes. He missed being able to fall asleep with a partner beside him, and it certainly beat the tears he shed for her last evening. 

He often thought back to the day they met. In his entire lifetime, he had never fallen so head over heels in love with anyone. He felt that Daphne was the missing link that not one of his prior wives ever provided. To him, she was utterly perfect, despite his declaration in the ‘get away boat’. 

He didn’t want to imagine life without her by his side, but after the way things unfolded last night, he thought she would be gone by morning. It eased his conscious slightly, to hold her in his arms. He didn’t know if this was the end of ‘them’, but he just wanted to enjoy the moment while it lasted. So he kissed her forehead one last time and allowed himself to fall back to sleep.


	5. Decima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "They say a storm in summer clears the air and leaves the world peaceful. But there are some storms that stir the world so about, that when they have passed, things can never be set back quite as they were."
> 
> \- Lark Rise to Candleford (Season 1 Episode 8)

Osgood awoke to the feeling of pure happiness in his heart. A smile crept over his face as he thought about his sweet Daphne. He blinked his eyes open and looked down at his chest, but to his dismay, there was no Daphne snuggled up against him. He was lying on his left side and when he tried to reach behind him, she wasn’t there either.

His heart sank…‘Of course it was a dream’ he thought to himself and his smile slowly faded. 

He figured he’d better start his day and help Daph…Jerry move on to wherever he wanted to go. Osgood stretched his arms out as he rolled over onto his back; when he realized his right hand brushed up against something in the bed that certainly wasn’t his sheets. 

Electricity ran through him as he slowly turned his head to see what he hit. To his overwhelming relief, there was his Daphne. Her face was turned towards him, she was lying on her stomach, her arms were tucked up underneath the pillows and she was still sound asleep. Osgood’s eyes welled up with tears at the realization that Daphne had, in fact, come to him early in the morning. He covered his mouth with his hand to stifle his excitement. 

He wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled so big, though more tears ended up appearing. He wanted to continue watching her sleep, but he just had to wake her up. He needed to know why she came to him. Had she changed her mind? Did she really want him as much as he wanted her? 

He had to keep his mind from wandering, so he nudged her gently “Daphne? Wake up, Daphne.” He whispered softly. 

Daphne felt a gentle nudge on her right shoulder and heard her name being called. She slowly regained consciousness from what might have been the best few hours of sleep she had gotten in months. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes, was something red that seemed to stretch out. She tried to focus her eyes and followed the length, quickly realizing what was in front of her, when she came to a hand. She moved her eyes up and saw Osgood, sitting up on his elbow looking down at her, seemingly relieved and questioning at the same time. 

She stretched slightly and then rolled over with a small groan. She lifted her head up and pushed the pillows back against the headboard so she could sit up to look at her slightly confused husband. “Good morning!” she said cheerfully. 

“Good morning. I swore I had only dreamt of you being in my bed, but I see this isn’t a dream. What are you doing here, Daphne?” Osgood asked with what sounded like hope in his voice.  
“Well I was sleeping until you woke me up. By the way, what time is it?” she asked while she yawned and stretched her arms out again.

Osgood turned around to look at his clock, “It’s nearly 10:00…but, how…why?” Osgood suddenly forgot how to form sentences and just eyed Daphne. Somehow, he was still convinced he was dreaming and was bound to wake up at any minute to the same empty bed. 

“Sounds like you’ve forgotten how to speak. I just came for a visit, that’s all” She said with a laugh.

Osgood looked at her like he knew there was an actual reason, but was waiting for her to tell him, “You just came…for a visit?”

Daphne laughed nervously as she played with the hem of her shirt for a moment. Her calm demeanor was slipping, but she tried her best to hide it, “Well, I was having a bad dream and woke up to the storm. I wanted some company, so I snuck into your bed at about three this morning and nuzzled up behind you.” She didn’t turn her head to look at him, but when she finished talking, she looked at him through the corner of her eyes and gave a slight smile. He still seemed confused.

“I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to come to me. What was your dream about?” Osgood asked with slight concern in his voice.

Daphne took a deep breath, realizing she might become emotional at any moment and she wasn’t sure why she was crashing so hard. She sat up and tried to recall the dream in detail.

“You were on some really large ship and I was standing on a pier, surrounded by strangers. I yelled to you and you just stood there on deck, looking down at me. You didn’t call or motion to me; you just stood there watching. The ship began to leave and I pushed through the crowd to get to the ship before it left. I got to the edge of the pier and nearly fell into the water, but the ship had already pulled away. I screamed for you and you just turned around and walked away from the guard rail. All I could do was stand there and watch the ship sail away…without me.” Daphne spoke with sadness in her voice.

“My word! What made you have a dream like that?” Osgood asked, his heart breaking for Daphne.

Daphne knew that if she tried to explain the meaning of her dream to Osgood, she was going to end up in tears, but he deserved to know the truth. “I think it was my subconscious, trying to say that if I didn’t come to terms with my feelings for you, I’d lose you forever.”

Osgood felt his heart skip a beat and then it began to pound twice as fast. He was grinning like a fool on the inside, but remained calm on the outside. He sat himself up “Lose me forever? What are your feelings for me, Daphne?” 

Daphne looked at him again and turned her body slightly towards him. She took a deep breath and finally opened up completely, “Osgood…you’re the best damn thing that’s ever happened to me. No one has ever been so good to me, not even my own parents. You’ve treated me with nothing but kindness and respect and I’ve repaid you so poorly, with my utter selfishness. I deliberately hurt the one person who cares for me most in this world, because I’m a stupid fool who couldn’t admit that I was growing to like you”, she took in a shaky breath and began to cry, “You didn’t deserve to be treated that way and I’m so…so sorry, Osgood.”

She put her hands to her face to hide her tears from her husband. She felt so ashamed and so weak for crying in front of him, but Osgood didn’t think she was weak at all, just the complete opposite. His dream of finally winning Daphne’s affection had come true, but seeing her cry crushed him. He wanted nothing more now than to hold her close and to kiss her tears away.  
Osgood moved closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder, “Daphne, come here baby” he cooed and she leaned into him.  
His arms enveloped her and she buried her face into his chest, sobbing. He rubbed her back with his right hand and his left one ran through her curls on the back of her head. She kept repeating “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…”

“Shhhhhh, please don’t cry, honey” Osgood spoke softly to her, “I’m here, I’ve got you. It breaks my heart to see you cry. Everything’s going to be ok Daphne; my sweet, beautiful Daphne.” He spoke softly and kissed her forehead “You mean the world to me.”

Daphne’s hands moved from her eyes so she could embrace Osgood. She wrapped her arms around his middle as she tried to make her tears stop falling. Osgood was still rubbing her back and began to gently rock her back and forth. She held him tight, and it made Osgood feel as if he had butterflies in his stomach. He kissed her forehead again and then rested his cheek on that same place, while he continued to run his hand through her hair. 

He listened as her sobs began to die out and he knew the tears weren’t falling so fast anymore. Her grip around him loosened and she pulled herself away from him to regain her composure. She sat up and wiped her eyes. Osgood turned and reached for something on his nightstand. When turned back towards her, he had a handkerchief in his hand. He held it out to her and she took it. She wiped her eyes on it and then wiped her nose. Osgood watched her with sad eyes. 

Daphne looked at him, chuckled into the handkerchief for a brief second and then said, “I cried all over your shirt.”

Osgood looked down at his shirt and laughed “No worries, my dear. It’ll dry!”

“I really don’t deserve you, Osgood.” Daphne said.

“Nonsense”, he said with a smile and his eyes brightened up, “I’d give you the entire world if I could, Daphne!”

“You’d give everything to the most selfish person in your life?” Daphne scoffed and wiped at the tears that filled her eyes again “You’d be better off throwing me out on the curb.”

Osgood put his hand under her chin and lifted her head to look at him “Daphne, you deserve so much and I want to be the one to give you everything. I don’t think I could have ever found a better companion, honest! You’re so different from anyone I’ve ever met in my entire life and I’m just crazy about you.” He said with the biggest smile. 

“I still think…” Daphne started but was silenced by Osgood bringing a finger to her lips. 

“Do you know how elated I was to wake up and find you in my bed early this morning?!” Osgood asked with such a cheerful voice. 

Daphne smiled, with more tears forming in her eyes, and shook her head no.

“I honestly don’t think I can put it into words, Daphne. I don’t know what woke me out of my sleep, but when I did wake up and realized you were cuddled up behind me, my heart filled with joy. The feeling of your arm around my waist was enough to keep me warm through the coldest winter. Then, when you asked me to hold you, I wanted to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming”, Osgood laughed, which made Daphne laugh with him, “Next thing I knew, it was morning and when I didn’t feel you against me anymore, I figured it was just a dream and too good to be true. So, as I went to get out of bed, I stretched my arms out and I realized I had hit your shoulder. I was so relieved to see that you really were lying next to me, it brought tears to my eyes.”

Daphne’s smile grew and she spoke up.

“Before you woke up, I whispered something into the back of your neck and I…I…kissed you on the same spot. You woke up right after that and I was afraid that you were going to be mad at me for sneaking in during the middle of the night. But, it felt so nice when you held me, so nice I guess, that the next thing I knew, you were waking me up this morning.” Daphne said sweetly.

“I could NEVER be mad at you for climbing into bed with me, honey. It’s been empty for far too long and I love having your company. What was it that you whispered to me, Daphne?” Osgood added, with a hint of desperation in his voice, like he needed to hear her confirmation.

Daphne looked down, embarrassed to speak at first. Then Osgood moved a hand to hold hers. Daphne looked at him, into those lovely blue eyes, and regained her composure. She spoke softly; trying not to break out into sobs again “I whispered…‘I really do love you, Osgood’.”

Osgood didn’t say anything at first, as he felt utterly stunned. Did he actually hear her correctly? Did Daphne actually say the three most important words in the world to him? He finally came back to Earth and gave her the sweetest and most loving smile. He brought his hand to her cheek and rubbed his thumb along her cheek bone. His eyes never left hers and Daphne smiled so big, failing miserably at keeping her composure. A tear came streaming down her cheek that he was holding and he used his thumb to wipe it away. Osgood was falling in love all over again.

“No wonder I woke up when I did” He said softly, paused for a moment and then asked, “Daphne, may I kiss you?” 

Daphne nodded ‘yes’ and Osgood eyed her lips and he began to move forward. His eyes came back up to meet hers then. He kept his left hand on her cheek, brought his other hand up to mirror it, and pressed his lips to hers. Daphne’s arms came back around Osgood and she held him tight while the tears came streaming down her face. The kiss was gentle and so loving. His lips were soft and Daphne loved them against her own. 

Daphne broke the kiss and then immediately came in to kiss his cheek. Then, she rested her chin on his shoulder and held onto him for dear life. Osgood went on rubbing her back. He knew she wasn’t crying from sadness this time, but from pure relief. When he heard her crying begin to die out, he whispered “I love you, Daphne.”

She pulled back from the embrace slightly, sniffed and smiled at him “I love you too, Osgood.”

Daphne wiped her tears away on her sleeve and looked into Osgood's eyes. She appeared awestruck and even dazed. She touched her lips momentarily and then appeared to blush. 

"What are you thinking, Daphne?" Osgood asked, smirking ever so slightly. 

"I've never kissed another man on the lips before." Daphne admitted. 

Osgood knew full well she had never kissed another man before and Daphne knew he knew it. Nonchelantly, he asked "Yea? What did you think?"

"I...I want to do it again." Daphne said.

Osgood beamed and came in for another kiss. They held each other close and when the kiss ended, they just simply enjoying each other’s embrace. Not a word was spoken between them as they held each other. Daphne never felt so protected and Osgood never felt so truly in love. He turned his head to kiss her cheek. 

When Osgood pulled away, he paused for a moment, and then asked “Honey?”

“Yea, Osgood?” Daphne asked as she moved back far enough to see him.

“Are you sure you still want me to call you Daphne?” Osgood asked.

“What do you mean?” Daphne looked puzzled now, “Why wouldn’t I want you to call me Daphne?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I just wondered if you would prefer that I call you by your birth name now” he said. 

Daphne paused for a brief moment “You know, when Joe and I decided we were going to dress up as women, Geraldine was the first name that came to my mind, because of it being the feminine version of Jerry. After I thought about it though, I realized I didn’t like the name Geraldine, so I changed it to Daphne. When Joe questioned why I changed it to Daphne, I told him that I always liked the name. Deep down, I guess the truth was…I felt more comfortable as Daphne.”

“I do really like the name Daphne. It suits you so well.” Osgood said with a gentle smile. 

“There’s just something about the way you say it, Osgood. Like it’s the only name I ever really had. I may have been born as Jerry, well, as Gerald, but you helped me become Daphne” She said, glowing.  
“Oh, my Daphne” Osgood said with a big smile and then came in for another kiss.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and Daphne held onto him tightly. She got lost in the sensation and started falling back against the pillows. Osgood fell with her, but adjusted himself so he partially lay on top of her. The kiss became passionate and Osgood suddenly began to lose himself. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, pulling himself flush against her. Daphne’s arms went around his neck as they kissed and she brought her hand up to run her fingers through his hair. 

Suddenly, Daphne registered that something hard was pressing into her thigh and it didn’t take her long to realize what it was. She felt Osgood’s hands move down her sides, as if he was going for the hem of her shirt. She panicked and pulled back from Osgood, desperately wanting to break free from his hold on her. Everything was moving too fast and Daphne felt a wave of nausea run through her. 

When Osgood realized she was trying to pull back, he instantly let go of her, got up off of her and tried to cover himself with the blanket, “Oh my god, Daphne, I’m so sorry! I forgot myself…” He was completely embarrassed and realized he may have just compromised everything. 

Daphne didn’t move back very far, but she felt so stupid for having been so panicked. Her cheeks were flushed and she didn’t want to look up at him. 

“I hope I didn’t embarrass you, honey. Being so close to you just makes me feel so excited, but I know that’s no excuse for making you feel uncomfortable. I should have better self control. I’m so sorry, Daphne.” Osgood said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Daphne finally found the right words “It’s not your fault Osgood. I’m flattered really, to know I have that affect on you. This is just so new for me…I…I’m trying.” She said and looked up at him with a nervous smile.

“I know baby, but I still tried to rush things when I shouldn’t have. I’m just so happy to have you in bed with me, and I let my second brain take control. Can you forgive me honey?” Osgood asked.

Daphne reached out to put her hand on his cheek and she leaned in for a sweet kiss. “There’s nothing to forgive, Osgood. I love you.” She said softly as she pulled away. 

The smile that stretched across his face was adorable “And I love you too, my beautiful girl. Could we try this again?”

Daphne smiled and opened her arms to him. Osgood came towards her and she pulled him into a gentle embrace. They started kissing again, little pecks on the lips and then longer kisses that took both of their breaths away. Then, just as Daphne was beginning to getting into it, her hunger got in the way. The loudest growl emitted from her stomach and she laughed into their kiss.

“How about we get some breakfast?” He asked as he pulled away. 

“Oh yes please, I’m starving!” She said with exaggeration and Osgood laughed.

“I’m going to run downstairs and have a talk with the cook about our breakfast. You just sit tight and I’ll be back as soon as possible!” He said and then leaned in for a quick kiss.

“Sounds like a plan!” she exclaimed as she watched Osgood get out of bed, throw his robe on, put his slippers on his feet and head out the door. 

Daphne smiled to herself and stretched out on Osgood’s super large bed. Her bed was a good size but his had so much more space. She rolled around for a bit and then she sat up to take in what his room really looked like in the day light. 

When she first moved in with him, she had only seen the door to his room and got a slight glimpse of the inside. The headboard to his bed was beautifully carved mahogany wood. His nightstands matched, and so did his armoire across the room. She also noted his whiskey decanter, and other bottles of liquor on the table beside the armoire. She knew that could come in handy in the future. Daphne stretched one more time before heading towards what she figured was the door to the bathroom.

As she walked in, she noted that it was simple, and yet elegant. The floor was made up of black and white honeycomb tiles. The tiles going up the walls were white, except for the top row, which created a black line that went all around the bathroom. There were twin sinks, a very large shower built into the wall and a claw foot tub against the opposite wall from the shower. She went over to his full body mirror to have a look at herself. She laughed at her appearance, eyes still slightly red and puffy; her lips appeared swollen for some reason and she looked so completely tired. None of this mattered though, because obviously, Osgood could only see the beauty in Daphne. 

She didn’t feel so lady like though, when she stood over the toilet to relieve herself, but Osgood clearly didn’t care either way. When she finished, she came over to one of the twin sinks to wash her hands. She then turned the faucet to cold, splashing the water up on her face. The cold water felt so refreshing and really seemed to wake her up. After a few good splashes, she reached for one of the hand towels and dried her face off. She looked up in the mirror again and she thought she looked much better. She hung the towel up and came back into the bedroom. 

She lay back down on the bed and wrapped herself up in the covers. It may have been warm outside but she felt so comfortable wrapped up in Osgood’s sheets, especially because they smelled like him.  
She rolled onto her stomach, wrapping the blanket around her like a cocoon. Her mind began to wander to Osgood in bed with her. She briefly thought about how it felt to have Osgood’s hard length pressed against her. She adjusted herself slightly and realized the friction felt surprisingly good against her groin. Jerry had surly gotten hot before, thinking about a woman getting excited for him. However, picturing another man getting hard because they found Daphne to be attractive was a whole different kind of heat. Without really thinking about it, she began gently thrusting her hips into the bed. She was suddenly so turned on and found herself picturing Osgood’s hand massaging her cock while he nipped and kissed along her neck. Pings of electricity swam through her body and she moaned into the pillow. Daphne suddenly wanted Osgood to touch her, to bring her to a finish. She felt like it was taking an eternity for Osgood to come back to his bedroom and at this rate; she was going to get off before he even came back.  
Then, to her relief, she heard the door latch click and she knew he was coming back in. She quickly stopped thrusting into the mattress and lay still. 

Osgood came through the door and shut it behind him “Our breakfast will be ready shortly!” he exclaimed. 

Daphne sat herself up against the pillows. She watched him pull his robe off and he took off his slippers. She held the blanket up slightly, signaling for him to crawl in with her. She was blushing over the fact that she had just spent the last few minutes thrusting herself into his mattress but her sudden urge to have Osgood touch her was eating her alive. She crooked her finger at him and she knew Osgood got the hint.  
He slid in under the covers with her and instantly found himself in her embrace. He brought his lips in to meet hers and this kiss seemed far more sensual. Daphne felt bold and wanted Osgood to know that she truly was opening up to him. Osgood’s arms came around her waist again and Daphne brought her hand up to muss his hair as they kissed. This time, however, Daphne was going to take the lead. 

She brought her hand down from his neck, while they still continued to kiss. Her left arm stayed in place, but she started moving her right hand down along the side of Osgood’s body. She reached behind her back to grab Osgood’s left hand and brought it away from her waist. Then, she moved his hand down and placed it flat along her length, which was now throbbing for attention. She thrust her hips towards his hand and let a soft moan slip into the kiss as she finally had his hand where she wanted it.

Osgood inhaled sharply and pulled back from the kiss. He kept his lips almost against hers and sighed “Ohh, Daphne…did I get you excited, baby?” He asked with a purr and shockwaves swam down Daphne’s spine. 

Daphne nodded and Osgood brought his lips back down on hers, hard. The palm of his hand ran up and down her length, while he applied just the slightest bit of pressure. Daphne moaned and Osgood tightened his hold around her. He moved his hand up to the waist band on her pajama bottoms and pulled away from the kiss.

“May I?” He asked, like a gentleman, to make sure it was what she wanted. 

“Pleaseee” Daphne whispered with desperation and tried to push his hand beneath the fabric.

“Somebody’s eager” Osgood whispered with a small laugh. 

“I haven’t been touched in so long, Osgood.” She moaned, almost unable to make the words come out.

“Don’t you worry, Daphne. I’ll make up for that.” He said and kissed her again.

Slowly, he undid the tie with one hand. He pushed his hand past the waistband barrier and Daphne heard a rumble in his chest.

“Such a naughty girl, Daphne, not wearing panties to bed” he said when he realized she had nothing on underneath her pajama pants.

When his hand finally reached her cock, he wrapped his fingers around it and started stroking her, slowly. 

“You’re so hard for me, aren’t you, Daphne?” He asked with a purr.

Daphne nodded and moaned loud against his cheek in response. Osgood quickly covered her lips with his own. She moaned into the kiss as Osgood continued with the same up and down motions. She could feel him slowly speeding up with each thrust of his hand and then, it was as if Osgood could read Daphne’s mind. He gave her a final brief kiss as he stroked her, and rubbed his thumb over the head, trying to spread the liquid that beaded at the top. Then his lips left hers and trailed along her jaw line. He stopped when he got to her ear and started nibbling on her lobe. Daphne moaned loud again and knew she wasn’t going to last very long. Daphne’s arms wrapped around Osgood’s shoulders tightly, all while Osgood’s lips continued to attack her ear and then went back down to her neck. 

Jerry had received his fair share of ‘hand jobs’ from girls who clearly didn’t understand how to pleasure a man. It took him forever to even reach climax and most of the time, he just asked them to stop so they could get to the next level. Whatever Osgood was doing, was clearly going to make Daphne finish at any moment. She had never felt so turned on before. 

“How’s that? Does it feel good?” Osgood asked seductively as he moved back up against her ear. 

“Yessss” she managed to moan into his shoulder “I’m almost…there…ohhhh Osgood!”

And that quickly, she spilled into Osgood’s hand. His motions slowed into long strokes and he moaned against her ear “Mmmm, that’s a good girl.”

Daphne didn’t want to let go of him. She loved the way he felt against her and she didn’t think she could bear that feeling being taken away from her. Osgood’s hand was still around her cock, which had managed to slip out of her pants. He let her come down from her high for a few moments and then he pulled himself back. His hand left her cock and Daphne sighed. She watched as Osgood brought his hand up to his mouth. He took each finger, one at a time, and slipped them past his lips. She watched him intently as he licked, and sucked, his fingers clean.

He moaned as he pulled the last finger from his mouth and said “I love the way you taste, Daphne”.

Daphne shuddered as the last shockwave fizzled out and then said “I love you, Osgood. You’re amazing.”

A ridiculously big smile stretched across Osgood’s face as he looked at her. He said “Mmm, thank you…and I love you too, beautiful” and then brought his lips back to hers. 

As they kissed, Osgood tucked her cock back into her pajama bottoms. Daphne registered that she could taste herself on his lips and oddly enough, she wasn’t turned off by it. She didn’t mind the taste and just wanted to keep kissing her husband. 

When they did pull away, Daphne spoke softly “I’m so glad I’m yours.”

“Why’s that, honey?” Osgood asked.

“Because, I’ve never had anyone like you.” Daphne smiled. 

Osgood was about to respond when there was a knock on the door. Daphne jumped and Osgood laughed at her reaction. 

“Yes?” Osgood called out towards the door. 

“Your breakfast is here, sir” his butler said through the door and asked “Shall I bring it in, sir?”

Osgood looked at Daphne and gave her a devilish grin, “Sure! Send it in!” he said towards the door. 

The door opened and in came a cart with two large cloches, covering the food. The butler parked the cart and then asked if they needed anything else. Osgood told him no and the butler left, shutting the door behind him.

“Are you hungry, love?” Osgood asked as he turned back towards Daphne. He was making like he was about to get off the bed for their food.

“But…what about…?” Daphne looked down at Osgood’s visibly noticeable erection and then back up at his face.

“We’ll worry about that another time, ok honey?” He said and leaned in to give her a tender kiss on the cheek. 

Daphne looked at him in disbelief “Are you sure?” 

“Honest, that’s for another time, my love.” He said and reached out to pat her hand.

“Ok, if you say so. What‘s on the menu for breakfast, Osgood?” She asked. 

Osgood tucked his erection into the waist band of his pajama bottoms to keep it from jetting out and said “Oh my, I didn’t know what you were in the mood for, so I requested waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, toast, coffee…and a little bit of everything in between I guess.” He said and then exclaimed, “OHH! And Mimosas!”

“All of that sounds absolutely amazing, Osgood!” She exclaimed and giggled.


	6. Residual

Daphne stuffed her face with everything Osgood had ordered for their breakfast. She had a mountain of pancakes, along with waffles that were drenched in syrup. She had at least 5 pieces of bacon and so many sausage links that she lost count. She couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten like that but she enjoyed every last bite. Even after moving into the mansion, she never remembered being so ravenous. Osgood laughed as he watched his wife devour her breakfast, like she was a wild animal.

“Who are you laughing at?!” she demanded and feigning insult. 

“Oh nothing honey, just…you sure built up an appetite” he laughed as he spoke, with a big hint of sarcasm. His plate of food was so modest, compared to Daphne’s.

“There’s no need to be vulgar, Mr. Fielding” she snorted back and quickly stuffed her mouth with another sausage link.

“My apologies!” he chuckled and took a swig from his glass.

Daphne stuck her tongue out at him and struggled to take one last bite of toast. Finally, she seemed to hit a wall. She finished the last of her Mimosa and then pushed her plate away. They had both decided to have their first real breakfast together as husband and wife, while tucked into Osgood’s bed. By real, I mean no awkward small talk, hidden glances and long periods of silence. Today, they finally had the chance to enjoy pure wedded bliss. 

Daphne groaned happily as she settled back against the pillows. Osgood had gotten up to open his French doors after their food arrived and a breeze was blowing in across the sheets. Daphne honestly felt like she was in one of those fairly tales where at any minute, her perfect new life would end and her ride would transform back into a pumpkin. She put her hands behind her head, stretched out and crossed her feet. She closed her eyes with a sigh and smiled big.

She heard Osgood grab the plates off of the bed and felt him get up to put them back on the cart. She opened her eyes and sat up to help him “Here, let me help…” she started. 

“Don’t you move a muscle. I’ve got this” he smiled at her and loaded everything up on the cart. He rolled it into the hallway and shut the door as he came back in. 

Instead of coming back to the bed, he walked over to the open doors and leaned against the frame. He crossed his arms and she could see that he still hadn’t lost that ridiculously big smile. Seeing Osgood so utterly happy made Daphne smile in return. She was amazed at how saying those three simple words meant absolutely everything to Osgood. It was almost as if she controlled him with the simple flick of a switch, and it was oddly satisfying. 

“How about we go for a swim, my dear?” He asked happily “The water should be warmed up enough by now!”

“Ughhh, I’m not sure I can even move” She answered back and pretended to use all of her strength to get up, but fell back down against the pillows. “I’m too comfy” she said as she hid her head under the blankets.  
Osgood’s smile grew even bigger, if that was even possible. He laughed at his adorable wife and loved how comfortable she finally felt around him. He came back over to the bed and crawled in beside her. Daphne peeled the blanket back enough to just show an eye and then drew it back over her head quickly. Seeing her play ‘hard to get’ was just too hard to resist. 

He popped his head in under the blanket and Daphne was looking up at him with a big smile. Osgood couldn’t help lowering his head to kiss her, sweetly, on the lips. “I love you…so much” He said as he pulled away from the kiss. He ran his hand along her cheek and he looked like he was about to burst into tears of pure joy.

“…and I love you” Daphne responded and lifted her head for another gentle kiss. 

“If you don’t want to go swimming, we don’t have to. We can easily find something else to do!” Osgood said as he pulled the blanket back from over top their heads.

“No, I’d love to go swimming, really I would!” she exclaimed “I’ll head down to my room to change, and then I’ll meet you out by the pool, ok?”

“Sounds perfect, my lovely girl” Osgood said sweetly. 

Daphne gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then rolled off the bed. She walked over to pick up her robe and slippers, stepping into them as she flung her robe onto her arms. She walked up to the door and as she turned the knob, she turned back to him, winked, and blew him a kiss to him.

She headed down the hallway to her bedroom with a skip in her step and a song in her heart. She was so completely happy and she honestly couldn’t remember a time where she was so happy. She burst through her bedroom door, did a small twirl and collapsed onto her bed. She laughed to herself, like a giddy little school girl with a crush on her teacher. She was in love and the feeling was amazing. She bounced off of the bed and went into her closet to find a bathing suit. Daphne had several bathing suits to choose from, but the most recent one Osgood bought her caught her eye. The gift was part of a ‘12 days of Christmas’ surprise that Osgood put together, but it was more like a ‘12 days of please accept me as a soon to be spouse and lover’. 

She slipped out of her pajamas and then put her bathing suit over her awkward frame. Her suit was a lovely navy blue two piece. There was a white belt that went around the waist and it tied into a small bow. The shoulder straps were about two inches thick and white to match the belt. There was also a thick white band that went around the hem of the bathing top. There was padding in the top that gave the illusion that she had natural breasts. The top was form fitting, but Daphne wanted to keep suspicions at bay, so it hung low enough to cover her bulge in the front. The shorts underneath fit smooth against her thighs and were only just visible under the hem of the bathing suit top. They were also navy blue.

She reached for another robe she had in the closet, one meant to put over top of a bathing suit for modesty. She looked at herself in the mirror and actually felt pretty today, something she hadn’t truly felt with her new persona. She was anxious for Osgood to see her in her new bathing suit. Then, she headed downstairs and out back to the pool. They had had countless pool parties with the neighbors and when Sugar and Joe lived with them, they all went swimming nearly every day. Daphne never had the pool to herself and Osgood. She briefly wondered just how many cocktails had found their way into the pool water over the years and it made her chuckle. 

When she got down to the patio and slid her robe down over her arms, she hung it over the lounge chair which had the least amount of rain on it. She put her bathing cap on her head and then smoothed her curls up underneath it. She walked up to the edge and jumped right in. The water was cold but god did it ever feel good. She came back up to the top of the water and released the breath she was holding. When she caught her breath she decided to get some laps in before Osgood came down. 

Daphne never got to swim much when she was still living as Jerry in Chicago. Growing up, Jerry lived in an apartment with his mother, father and three younger siblings in Boston. He had a simple life, and in the summer he would spend time visiting his grandparents in Concord. He and his two brothers would often swim in the pond out back. Occasionally, his little sister would join in on the fun. 

Jerry had happy memories from childhood, but things changed when he turned 15. His father was killed on the job, trampled by a horse. Jerry suddenly became the man of the house and had to find work anywhere he could. He started as a paperboy, and sometimes he helping the local milkman in the mornings. It wasn’t much money, but it helped alongside his mother getting a job as a stenographer. 

Then, one day in 1912, he picked up a job as an apprentice at the Boston Musical Instrument Company. He was taken under the wing of a man he called ‘Sonny’. He was an eccentric sort of fella, but Jerry took to him like nobody else. It was Sonny that helped develop Jerry’s love for music. When work was over, he’d visit with Sonny in his apartment a few blocks away. He had a slew of instruments around the place, but Jerry found himself drawn to the elephant in the room. A beautiful 1898 bass stood in the corner, just aching to be played. 

Jerry spent hours learning to play it. Daphne looked down at her fingers just then and smoothed her thumbs over the calluses on her fingers. She thought back to her former self, when Jerry would pluck those strings until his blood ran down his fingers. The love of music was instilled in him because of Sonny and he would never forget it. 

The following year, Jerry’s mother married the man who she worked for and things vastly improved. Jerry didn’t have to give up his earnings to support the household anymore, so every penny went into his savings. On his 20th birthday in 1915 he used every last bit of his savings to purchase his own bass. It was second hand but in near mint condition. From that day on he never stopped playing and learning the most popular song of the era. 

When he felt like he was good enough, he began looking for work as a musician. He tried out in several music halls and clubs until one finally took him on. He knew he needed experience if he was ever going to make it anywhere and he got just that, playing all over Boston. It got him out of the Great War and by 1920 he was a real pro. However, Boston was really starting to bore him. Jerry knew he needed an adventure so he started looking for clubs in Chicago. He had heard so many great things about the city and knew the best nightlife was there. Before Jerry knew it, he was on a train out of Boston. 

Daphne shook herself out of the past and back to the present, which shifted her thoughts to her mother. She had yet to communicate with her mother since marrying Osgood. She had written a letter, saying she moved out of Chicago and was doing well. Her mother wrote back, saying how proud she was of her son. Daphne’s heart sank to her feet when she read that letter. She’d find a way, someday, to tell her more, but not anytime soon. She tried to shake the thought from her mind as she tried to focus on her laps in the pool. 

She forced through as many rounds as she could. She could feel the burning in her muscles but she kept on paddling until there just wasn’t any energy left in her. She stopped mid paddle to take a much needed breather. She looked around to see if Osgood had come down yet, but he was still nowhere in sight. He must have been crawling down to the pool and it was beginning to annoy her. 

Osgood’s POV

As soon as Daphne left the room, Osgood sat back down on his bed. He couldn’t stop smiling. Daphne was finally his, in every sense of the word and he felt like they were truly married now. He was the luckiest man in the world, to have such an amazing person as his life partner. Daphne was his perfect match and he was so thankful for her. He shifted so he could lie down. His head hit the pillows and his mind swam with visions of his Daphne. He thought of how amazing it felt for Daphne to have her arms wrapped around him while he held her close. He loved that she seemed to rely on him for a sense of physical protection. The fact that she needed him the way that she did, confirmed how much he, in turn, needed her.

Then his mind began to stray from the modest thoughts and onto the naughty ones. He thought of how it felt for Daphne to cling to him while he stroked her cock. He could still hear her moans and her pleas for him. The sheer heat she exuded against him as he pleasured her made his skin bead with sweat. He suddenly felt like he was on fire and he wished she was still in the room with him. 

He lifted his head, looked down at his groin and realized he was hard again. However, this time, it couldn’t be ignored. He sat up to peel his shirt from his torso and then lifted his hips to remove his pajama bottoms and his underwear. He’d be putting his bathing suit on soon so it made since to be getting undressed anyway. He lay back down and ran his right hand along his chest while his left hand ran along his groin. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, trying to picture Daphne being in the room, watching him. He had gotten himself off many times, just by thinking about Daphne, but this time was different. Now he knew what she sounded like when she was moaning for him and saying his name out of pure passion. 

He began stroking himself and pictured Daphne stroking his cock instead. He imagined her moaning in his ear while she made him feel good. He thought of the way she held him tight as she approached, and came down from, her orgasm. It was so fresh in his mind that he could have sworn he heard her moan in his ear right at that exact moment. That quickly he was over the edge, moaning her name, quietly, as he finished over his stomach. Thoughts of his other wives never made him reach climax so fast. He always needed their actual touch to make him finish. Daphne just had a way with him and god did it ever make him feel good. He lay motionless in post orgasm bliss and he thought about Daphne kissing him tenderly to relax him. 

After some time, Osgood realized Daphne was probably wondering where he was, as he heard splashing in the pool. So he finally sat up, and reached for his handkerchief to clean himself off. He got up off the bed to throw the cloth in the laundry basket and then went about finding a bathing suit to wear down to the pool. He wanted to show off for his Daphne, so he picked something they he hoped would catch her eye and slipped into it.

Outside...

Daphne finally took a pause from her swimming to catch her breath. She was close to the ladder, so she swam to it and grabbed onto the rail to conserve her energy. Just after she got to her spot, she observed Osgood finally emerge through the doorway.

That big goofy smile of his still hadn’t faded and Daphne smiled back at him, as she watched him come down the steps to the patio by the pool. She continued to watch as he undid the tie around his robe, and then he pulled the material off, letting it fall beside Daphne’s on one of the lounge chairs. 

“Decided to start without me, huh?” Osgood pretended to frown, but he was so bad at it.

“Well, you were taking too long! I was beginning to think you forgot about me!” she said with pretend exasperation and then stuck her tongue out at him.

“Silly girl, you never leave my mind.” he said, fondly, as he headed for the diving board. 

Daphne turned to face him and she eyed the bathing suit he was wearing. Because they were alone at home, he didn’t dress as modestly as he would have in a public place or at a party. He had on just a tangerine pair of swim shorts that just about came up to his waist and there was a thick white belt that came around the top. However, his swim shorts fit very tight on him, in all of the right places. Thank god her bottom half was hidden under the water or she would have had a tough time explaining what she was thinking about, without feeling embarassed. 

Osgood mounted the diving board and stealthily walked to the edge, like he was testing it out. Then he turned around and walked to the far back of the board. He got a running start to the front of the board. As he got there, he crouched down, leapt into the air, took a deep breath and grabbed for his shins. He tucked them underneath and did a perfect cannon ball into the air. Daphne’s eyes went wide; god was he ever talented.

He made a decent sized splash and disappeared from sight, momentarily. Then, Daphne watched his figure swimming towards her from under the water. She wondered how a man his age could manage such an impressive dive. When Osgood emerged from the water, it was like he was shot out of a cannon. He burst upwards and then brought his hands up to smooth his hair back. Daphne gave him a big smile. 

“I had no idea you could do a cannon ball like that Osgood. That was AMAZING!” she said very enthusiastically. 

He swam towards her “Thanks honey; I learned how to do that when I was very young, but I still got it! I never told you this before, but when I was just a spoiled and rebellious child, I ran away to join the circus.”

“Are you serious?!” Daphne asked surprised.

“Yes ma’am! I was pretty good at all of the flips and tricks that we did. However, things got rough after about a year and I decided I wanted to go back home. I was nearly across the country, but I managed to scrape together some money and I wrote to my parents. They wrote me back, very quickly, with the money for a train and I was back home a few days later.” Osgood explained.

“No wonder you once fell for an acrobatic dancer.” Daphne smirked

“There’s just something so very fascinating about a girl who is so…flexible!” Osgood said with a raised brow, wide eyes and a purr. Then he laughed and added, “Pardon the vulgarity my dear.” 

“As if I never had those thoughts before Mr. Fielding; what kinda girl do you think I am?!” She asked, just like the first time they met; only she wasn’t planning on slapping him in the face. Then her voice softened “I just wish I was talented like that.”

Osgood pushed forward through the water, reached for the railing and his hand settled just above Daphne’s. He wrapped his left arm around her waist and pulled her to him. “I married a wonderfully talented musician, a woman…who has to know exactly where to place her fingers, just to make the piece before her…tremble.”

He whispered that last bit and accentuated the word, which made Daphne tremble at his touch, instead. Osgood slowly closed the distance between them and kissed her lips. Daphne was still in awe about the way he had just spoken to her and was taken by surprise with the sudden kiss. It was as if she was stunned momentarily, but as she came back to earth and moved to grab for Osgood, the kiss abruptly ended. 

“You’re such a good kisser, especially when I catch you by surprise” Osgood snickered and swam back in the water. 

Daphne watched as Osgood disappeared under the water and she thought to fool him. She quickly turned around and reached for the edge of the pool. With all of her upper body strength, she hoisted herself up to sit on the edge of the pool. She reached up and pulled her bathing cap off her head and sat it down beside her. She shook her head and reached up to pat at her curls, to make sure they were where they belonged. Then she crossed her left leg over her right and let her hands rest in her lap. 

When Osgood shot back out of the water, he realized his wife was no longer in the water with him. It took him a moment of searching to find her. She was perched on the edge so innocently and it made him ache for her closeness. So, he swam over to the edge to be with her. Daphne expected him to use the ladder but his strength was clearly boundless as he pulled himself up out of the water and onto the ledge. He plopped down to the right of her with an ‘OOF’.

“Didn’t think I was still strong enough to do that, did ya?” Osgood asked with a laugh.

“Not necessarily. I just thought you might need a little help at some point.” Daphne said as she looked at him. 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a lot of spunk left in this ol’ body” He said with a big smile and kicked at the water.

“Oh come on, none of that old talk. After all, age is just a number!” Daphne said and leaned over to brush her elbow with his. 

Osgood’s smile grew and he scooted a bit closer to Daphne. He put his left arm behind her back and his hand was around her waist. Daphne turned her torso towards him slightly and she put her right arm around the back of his neck, resting her hand on his shoulder. She leaned into him, tilted her head slightly and came to rest so her lips just at his ear.

She lingered there, for just a moment and softly whispered “I love you.”

Osgood’s right hand came to stroke Daphne’s cheek and she pulled away from his ear. Her hand left her lap and held Osgood at his waist. They leaned into each other until their lips met in a tender kiss. The kiss lasted for several moments and they held each other as tight as possible. Daphne could feel she was becoming excited again and she instinctively crossed her leg to mask it. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that being touched and kissed by a man sexually excited her. 

Not long after the thought ran through her head, Osgood pulled his lips back from hers. He froze there and whispered “I love you too, my beautiful wife.”

There was something in the way Osgood said it; wife. A simple four letter word that stirred so much emotion in Daphne’s mind and in her heart. She loved the way it sounded; as if she herself possessed the word.  
Daphne gave him another small kiss and then pulled back to rest her head partially on his shoulder and partially against her right arm. She closed her eyes and listened to sounds of the birds in the distance and the sound of the water sloshing around them. She wished time would suddenly freeze, so she could hold onto Osgood forever. 

After some time, Osgood spoke up softly, “I love being with you like this.” 

“Me too” she mumbled against his neck, giving him small kisses on the same spot. 

“I never did tell you how gorgeous I think you look in your bathing suit.” He said a few moments later. 

She lifted her head to look at him and asked “You really like it?”

“It flatters you so well and makes you even more enticing than you already are” Osgood said, with words full of innuendo.

“You’ve seen me in bathing suits before though, Mr. Fielding” Daphne pointed out. 

“It was hard for me to control myself then too, you know?” Osgood said and winked.

Daphne blushed and ducked her head but moved to wrap both of her arms around Osgood’s middle. She squeezed him tight and continued to hold him close to her. Osgood put his arm around her shoulder and his right hand rested in his lap. 

“You love to cuddle up to me, don’t you?” Osgood asked, sweetly, and moved his hand to rub her back. 

Daphne shook her head yes and said “I’m making up for lost time…and I’ve come to realize that I’m at my happiest when I’m in your arms.”

Osgood smiled so big and replied “It warms my heart to hear you say that, Daphne.”

Daphne pulled back and kissed him one more time. When she broke the kiss, she patted him on the cheek and suddenly asked “If I flirt enough with your bartender, do you think he’ll make me the world’s best Highball?”

Osgood’s eyes widened briefly but then he laughed at her question, “Honey if you bat those lovely eyes at him and purse those pretty lips, I think he’ll be making them until the sun goes down!”

“Perfect!” She exclaimed and turned to get up from the ledge.

When Daphne was standing tall again, she held her hand out to Osgood to help him up. He gladly took it and rose up, almost meeting her height. Daphne kept hold of his hand and led him to where their robes were lying. Osgood picked up Daphne’s robe before she could even reach for it and held it up to help her into it. Daphne smiled and backed herself into her robe. Osgood allowed it to drape over her and she brought the sash around to tie it around her waist. Then, she felt her husband’s hand wrap around her waist and hold her tight. A warm sensation spread through her, like an instantaneous feeling of peace. 

Daphne looked over her shoulder and was met with Osgood’s gaze. She covered his hands with her own and pursed her lips, begging for a kiss. Osgood happily obliged and kissed her sweetly. Then he moved his head back just a bit so he could kiss her neck. 

“Let’s go get you that Highball, sweetheart” He said softly against her neck and pulled his arms free. Then he grabbed his robe and heading into the house ahead of her.


	7. Night Subscriber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne and Osgood spend some more time getting to know each other, delving further into their past. Then, they spend an evening with friends. Will the moment of passion finally arise, or is Daphne still unsure of how to be her true self?
> 
> WARNING: Slight Transphobia and homophobia in this chapter.

Daphne took the first sip from her Highball and as she swallowed, she closed her eyes and savored the taste “That bartender of yours sure does know his way around a cocktail shaker! I could drink these all day!” Daphne exclaimed.

“If you drank them all day you’d be under the table in no time!” Osgood laughed as he sipped on his glass of whiskey.

“I don’t mind being under the table, as long as I have a fun time getting there!” Daphne said and laughed aloud.

“That’s my girl!” Osgood said and laughed along with her. 

They had changed out of their bathing clothes and were planning on a relaxing afternoon. Daphne had changed into a soft blue day dress and added a simple, but bold, long blue beaded necklace. Osgood had on a cream colored suit, with matching vest, and a rustic red colored tie. 

Daphne walked out onto the porch and caught sight of the swing that hung from the awning. Last night, the idea of her sitting alone with Osgood on that exact swing made her break into a cold sweat. Now she was reaching out for Osgood’s hand to bring him to their swaying seat for two. 

As they sat down, a wonderful breeze made its way across the porch and Daphne’s curls rustled right along with it. Daphne felt a glow inside of her and she wasn’t sure if that glow was coming from the alcohol, just beginning to take effect, or if it was the way Osgood made her feel. Maybe it was a mix of both, but the feeling was exhilarating. 

She took another sip from her drink and let her head fall against the back of the swing. As her head came back, she felt something soft behind her, instead of the hardness of the wood. She realized it was Osgood’s arm and turned her head to look at him with a smile. Osgood gripped her shoulder, silently asking her to come towards him. She did just that and they shared a brief kiss.

When Daphne pulled away, she smiled at him and then turned to take another big gulp from her drink. Then, she came back to rest her head on Osgood’s shoulder. Osgood’s hand left her shoulder and gently ran through her hair. He kissed her forehead, and then rested his cheek on the top of her head. 

They weren’t silent for long when Daphne spoke up “How long have you lived here, Osgood?”

Osgood thought for a moment “Oh, almost 10 years now.”

“Only ten?” Daphne asked and sat up to look at him. 

“I had just married my seventh wife, Gertrude. I was 57, she was only 22, and it was plain as day that she only wanted me for my money. I’m a giver by nature, but it also helped that she had a magnificent body. She begged me for an extravagant home, so I bought this mansion in the spring of 1920. She expected the finer things in life, so I showered her in furs, diamonds and the most exquisite clothing money could buy. It was never enough for her though. She was rarely home and always out with some younger man. When she was home, she demanded the wildest and most elaborate parties. When they were thrown, she was more interested in entertaining her men in her private bedroom than being anywhere near me or with the rest of the crowd.”

“Sounds like she was nothing but a gold digging bitch,” Daphne scoffed. “Whatever happened to her?”

“I don’t know how, but we remained married for another year after that. Finally she snuck away one morning, after attempting to steal money out of my safe; I found it defaced but unopened. I promptly went to the court house and filed for divorce. No alimony for her. I’m not sure where she ever ended up. I haven’t seen her since the summer of 21’, when she ran out on me.” Osgood recalled.

“Did you love her?” Daphne asked.

“No, I don’t think I did. I lusted after her and I tried to love her, but I don’t think I achieved actual love.” Osgood said.

“What was your last wife like? The contortionist?” Daphne asked 

“Ah yes, Annabelle. Talk about a flexible woman! I had taken mama to a circus that came to the area. She had come to stay with me for a short while after father passed and I wanted to take her out. In the middle of the show, Annabelle and her troop were introduced and I was instantly spellbound. The way she moved was incredible and I knew in that moment I needed to have her in my bed.” Osgood recalled fondly.

Oddly enough, Daphne felt a pang of jealousy just then, even though she knew she had Osgood’s heart. However, hearing him talk about his past affections for other women made her feel almost unworthy. She knew it was stupid of her to feel that way, but she couldn’t help it. 

“At the end of the show, I talked my way into her tent and convinced her to come with me, to leave the circus and live with me. I told her she’d be taken care of forever if she’d be my wife. It took her no time at all to pack a bag and tell off the ringmaster. I know she only wanted me because I was rich, as I was 62 then and she was just turning 30. We were married a few days later by the justice.” Osgood said.

“I remember you said you mother broke it up because she smoked. Were you together long?” Daphne asked. 

“See, my mistake was bringing Annabelle home while mama still lived with me. She followed Annabelle and I around everywhere we went. We just couldn’t be rid of her. We lasted about 5 months before Annabelle told me she couldn’t take it anymore. She was leaving town with another circus and was glad to be rid of the both of us.” Osgood said.

“Were you hurt by her leaving?” Daphne wondered.

“I think it stung at first, but like with all of my previous divorces, I moved on. A few months later, I convinced mama it would be better to move in with my younger sister and her husband, since they always have their children and grandchildren around. I said it would be good for her to be around all of them because they needed her as a role model. My sister gladly moved her in about two months later and I was free to live again! In celebration, I had the entire mansion remodeled. The first night I slept in this brand new house again, I swore the next woman I brought home as my wife, would be my last.” Osgood looked at Daphne, fondly. 

Daphne blushed and then lazily wrapped her arms around Osgood’s neck, while still holding her glass. “I guess you’re stuck with me then, Mr. Fielding.” She said. 

“I sure hope so, Daphne,” Osgood said with a soft smile.

He put his arms around her waist and he pulled her in for a kiss. They kissed sweetly for what felt like hours, but what was probably only five seconds. When the kiss was over, Daphne rested her forehead against Osgood’s. Her right hand moved to run along his cheek and then she whispered, “I love you”. 

“I love you too, my darling girl.” Osgood whispered back and then tilted his head for one more kiss. 

“Osgood?” Daphne asked. 

“Yes, love?” He asked in return, and then pulled back to look at her. 

“I just had a fun idea” She said sweetly.

“Oh? What’s that?” Osgood asked.

Daphne sat up and took another big gulp, finishing her drink. She put the glass back down on her lap and spoke “What say I call up Sugar and Joe to see if they want to come over for the evening! We can all go swimming, enjoy a great dinner and then toast the night away! It will be just like old times!” She exclaimed.

Osgood loved how Daphne always seemed to be such a ball of energy “Sounds good to me, Daphne. It would be great to see them both again! We haven’t seen them since the wedding!” he said with a smile. 

“Has it really been that long?” Daphne asked, pretending to not have been with Sugar every single day last week. “Are you sure you don’t mind?” she asked.

“Of course not honey! It’ll be a swell time!” Osgood exclaimed.

“Oh Osgood, you’re a darling!” She said excitedly and pulled him in tight. She kissed him hard and pulled back quickly to say “Thank you!”

She sprung up suddenly and went to the telephone to ring Sugar and Joe. 

Osgood could hear her on the phone in the hall, which was on the other side of the dining room. Judging by the sound of the conversation, the plan was a go. Osgood finished his whiskey and decided he better talk with the cook so there would be enough food for their little get together.  
___________________________

At about 5 o’clock the front doorbell sounded. The butler answered it and told Joe and Sugar where they would find Osgood and Daphne. They didn’t have to look far though, because as they rounded the corner, their hosts emerged from the parlor. Osgood was all smiles and Daphne’s arms went wide. 

Daphne yelled out ‘SUGAR!!’ and they closed the distance.

Osgood shook hands with Joe and then it was his turn to give Sugar a hug. Joe turned to Daphne and cocked a smile. Joe had finally seemed to come to terms with Daphne’s new life, and their handshake, turned hug, showed true “brotherly” love. Joe never knew anyone like Jerry and it was a big shock to the system when she officially came out as Daphne. If it weren’t for Sugar helping him to understand it, he may never have even tried to. Their friendship would never be the same, but at least they still had one.

As they ended their greetings, the butler came back in to ask what everyone would like to drink. Sugar and Daphne looked at each other, nodded and then looked back at the butler. In unison they enthusiastically shouted ‘MANHATTANS!!’, while Osgood and Joe were not as fancy with their drinks. Osgood asked for another whiskey on the rocks and Joe requested a Gin and Tonic. The butler went in to relay the drink orders with the bartender and the hosts showed their guests into the parlor. 

They sat opposite from each other on two matching sofas, enjoying their drinks while they waited for dinner to be announced. The room thundered with laughter and boisterous voices while they caught up on their week spent apart. Sugar was a bit simple minded, and even ditzy, but she managed to not let it slip that Daphne had been over to their apartment every day over the past week. Daphne knew Osgood wouldn’t mind that she even went there. However, Daphne still felt bad about having to sneak around behind Osgood’s back.

They were onto their second round of drinks by the time the butler came in to announce dinner. They all got up and walked into the dining room. A gramophone was playing some Al Jolson and the dinner was laid out on the table, ready for them to dig in. A massive roast beef sat in the middle of the table, with dishes of roasted potatoes, glazed carrots, steamed green beans, dinner rolls with the steam still billowing from them, and a colorful salad at each place on the table.

Their chatter continued between mouthfuls of food and sips of the delicious Merlot that Osgood had picked to go with their dinner. The music played loud enough to be heard, but soft enough to not drown out their conversations. Daphne was naturally a loud person though, so her voice carried throughout the room and Sugar’s laughs followed right along. When Daphne and Joe would reflect on the past, Daphne almost became Jerry again.

Daphne’s voice slipped in and out of falsetto as she and Joe talk about their days back in Chicago. She often wondered if Osgood minded when she briefly forgot who she was, and momentarily became Jerry again, but it never seemed to faze him. They loved to bring up old times and their stories had Sugar and Osgood in stitches.

After their delicious dinner they changed into their bathing clothes to head out to the pool. The French doors to the dining room were left open because of the lovely weather outside and it would make access to the pool easier. A small bar was set up outside so they could call for drinks on demand as they enjoyed the sun-warmed water as the sun faded away. The gramophone was also brought outside to continue the barrage of music from Rudy Valley and Louis Armstrong.

Daphne begged Osgood to show Sugar and Joe his amazing cannon ball jump. At first Osgood was not at ease with showing off to his guests, but the way Daphne batted those big brown puppy dog eyes, he couldn’t resist. They were both impressed and clapped as he returned to the surface. Daphne insisted he show her and Sugar how exactly to make the impressive jump. Joe sat on the edge of the pool, with his legs in the water, watching his wife and Daphne try their damndest to imitate Osgood’s feats. Their attempts were less than graceful but hilarious to watch.

After what seemed like forever to Osgood, he finally felt done in so he announced “Ladies, you’re gonna wear this old man out. I need to go take a breather!” 

Daphne was really beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol, but as they say, the truth comes out when alcohol is involved. As Osgood went for the ladder, Daphne came up from behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist “Aww, don’t leave Osgood” she pleaded with slightly slurred words.

She nearly sunk the both of them under water but Osgood quickly grabbed for the rail to the ladder. He turned around and patted her cheek “I’m just going to get another drink and then I’ll be right up there on the patio, ok?” he leaned in to give her a quick peck on the lips and then went on to climb out of the pool.

Joe looked over just as they kissed and froze with surprise. From his perspective, he’d never seen two men kiss before and he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it. Of course he knew Daphne was a lady now, but he also knew she was born a man. Under her swimsuit, she had the same parts that he did. The entire situation was still so strange to him, even though he was trying to understand it. In a way, he felt like he lost a friend. He also wondered if it was wrong of him to feel betrayal over what transpired. 

Daphne broke Joe’s thoughts when she looked over at him and slurred “Whatcha lookin’ at Joe? Never seen a guy kiss his sweetheart before?”

Joe mentally shook out of his minor funk to respond with a declaration “Nothin’, bet I can conquer that jump!”

“You can do it, Joe!” Sugar called to him as he stepped onto the diving board.

He came towards the edge and tried to eye up the spot where he wanted to land. When he had that decided, he backed up to the end of the diving board. He stood tall and proud but then leaned in, to get ready for a running start. He froze for a brief second and then started running towards the end. However, instead of making the graceful jump he was hoping for, he slipped on one of the many wet spots and landed in the water on his side, and with a less than graceful splash.

Daphne was laughing so hard, she was nearly blue in the face. Sugar swam over to him, to try to recover whatever remained of his pride as he resurfaced. However, Sugar slowly lost her laughter battle and began to laugh because Daphne still couldn’t control her own laugh. 

“Well if you girls hadn’t gotten the board so wet, I could have managed it!” He exclaimed.

“Yea sure, Joe, blame the diving board” Daphne scoffed and swam to the edge to grab her drink that sat on the edge by the pool. 

Osgood emerged from the dining room and called down to the pool “What did I miss?”

“Oh, Joe’s ego slipped very gracefully into the pool. It’s gonna take a long time for him to find it again!” Daphne shouted towards her husband. 

“Oh, shut up!” Joe called and sent a hefty splash in her direction. 

Daphne managed to turn her head JUST in time for the splash to get her right in the face. It was now Joe’s turn to laugh as Daphne wiped her face with her hands and spit the water out of her mouth. Joe decided he’d had enough of the pool for now and decided to head for the lounge chairs with Osgood. Now Sugar and Daphne had some time to talk without being within earshot of the guys.

“So, how’ve things been between you and Osgood, honey?” Sugar asked, knowing Daphne hadn’t come to find her all day. 

Daphne smiled and tipped her drink back to finish it and called to Osgood to see if he could bring her another one. Then she turned back to Sugar and said “Oddly enough, things have turned around, completely. I took your advice and finally talked to him about everything.”

“Oh Daphne, that’s wonderful! How did it happen?!” She always spoke excitedly, like she was about to run out of breath. Daphne tried to shush her so Osgood wouldn’t overhear it. He wouldn’t have cared at all, but the idea of him hearing it, embarrassed Daphne. What else was new?

“Well, to begin with, I pretty much broke his heart last night”, she watched Sugar’s expression harden, “I was cold and even more distant than usual. Then he called me Jerry, and said he’d be alright with letting me go. We could get a divorce in the morning, I’d get a nice settlement and I could be on…” Daphne stopped as Osgood came over to her with yet another Highball. She smiled up at him and he blew her a kiss as he went back over to sit with Joe. 

ON THE PATIO

Osgood sat down opposite from Joe and noticed he was very deep in thought. Osgood, being the inquisitive man that he was, felt he needed to get to the bottom of it. 

"Everything alright, Joe?" Osgood asked?

Joe continued to stare into his drink for a few more moments before he even realized that Osgood had spoken. "What's that? Oh, I'm just trying to work something out in my head." Joe said.

"If you want to share, I'd be happy to help." Osgood obliged, sipping at his bourbon. 

"I guess I've got nothing to lose," Joe started. "Do you really think Jerry knows what he's doing? Dressing like a girl, keeping up with this disguise, is it genuine?" 

Osgood's brow furrowed and he felt offended by the way Joe spoke about Daphne. He tried to put himself in Joe's shoes and speak calmly. "I know you still see the Jerry you knew back in Chicago and you want everything to go back to the way it was. For you the dresses were just as you said, a disguise. For Daphne, and please call HER Daphne, it was, how should I put it...an...awakening."

Joe stared at Osgood almost blankly, "An awakening?"

"Yes, awakening. She felt free to become who she wanted to be. Until Daphne put on women's clothing, all she knew was the life she was told she had to live. She was born male, therefore she had to wear men's clothing, talk like a man, BE a man. When you both were 'pretending' to be women, she told me she felt 'free', like she could be herself for the first time in her life." Osgood said. 

"I just don't understand how Jer..." Joe paused, looked at Osgood's raised brow and switched quickly "Daphne, can just forget her past, where he...she came from, our friendship, everything."

"Just because she's Daphne now, doesn't mean her memory is wiped clean. I recall her speaking of those fond memories over dinner. She's still your friend, Joe. Your friendship is just in a different capacity now. It makes you no less of a man to be friends with a woman you know." Osgood said with a smile. 

"That's not it. I've had many friends that are girls. Sure, I've taken them to bed, but they're friends. I've just never known someone like Daphne." Joe said, clearly still uneasy.

"You mean because she has a 'male's body' and she's married to a man?" Osgood asked.

Joe was momentarily tongue tied "I grew up knowing homosexuality was against the bible. I was always told it was unnatural."

"Do you believe it's against the bible and unnatural?" Osgood asked and sipped again at his bourbon.

"I don't know what to believe. I just don't get why a gu...someone with a...male's parts would want to marry a guy." Joe admitted.

"Have you ever been physically hurt by someone who loved someone of the same sex? Have they ever forced themselves and their feelings on you? I've always felt it made more sense to allow people to be happy with whoever they love than to spend time fighting against them. If they aren't hurting you, why hurt them? Daphne is still the fun loving bass player that she was back in Chicago, just now she wears dresses instead of tuxes and has a husband. You don't have to understand who she chooses to love and why. She just wants you to understand that she NEEDS love in her life." Osgood said.

Joe looked down at his drink again. He was quiet for a few moments, letting Osgood's words dance around his head.

Osgood broke the silence, "Have I made any sense? Did I help you sort anything out?"

"You've given me a lot to think about Osgood. I hope you don't think I'm an awful person." Joe said.

Osgood chuckled, "I don't think you're awful, Joe. Just remember, you still have a friend in Daphne. She went through a difficult time too, with a lot of internal anguish. She didn't decide her destiny in just one night."

"I didn't think of it that way." Joe said.

"It isn't something that's very obvious, until you talk to the person going through it. Just know she's well taken care of here, and I love her beyond words." Osgood said fondly. 

"Thank you for loving her, Osgood" Joe said. 

That was when they heard the girls emerging from the pool. They decided to stop the conversation, for Daphne's sake, and just discuss horse racing in the mean time. 

BACK IN THE POOL

When he was out of earshot, Daphne started again “Anyway, I went back to my room last night, as usual, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t keep my mind off of him. I ended up nearly crying myself to sleep over him. Then I had a nightmare, that’s just too long to explain.” Daphne paused to take a big sip of her drink, “But when I woke up, from the storm we had last night, I thought the dream was real and Osgood was gone. I burst into tears and couldn’t calm down. I had to find a way to show him I didn’t want him to let me go. So while the storm was rumbling away outside, I ended up making my way to his room.”

“In the middle of the night? But wasn’t he asleep?” Daphne smirked at Sugar and shook her head. She was so simple minded but Daphne loved her for it.

“He was asleep, which I was glad for. So I snuck into his bed and cuddled up with him, until he finally woke up” She said

“Oh Daphne! What happened?! What did he say when he woke up?!” Sugar’s eyes widened.

“Well….” Daphne began “I had my arm around him, and he reached for my hand, to try to see what was around his waist. He realized it was me, turned around, and said he was happy to see me in his bed. I told him I needed him to hold me. He didn’t even question my motives and just held his arms out to me and I came to him. We didn’t speak a single word, beyond me thanking him, and I ended up falling asleep in his arms.”

“Oh how sweet!” Sugar declared.

“The next thing I knew, he was poking my shoulder, wondering how I ended up in his bed.” She stopped again to completely finish off her drink, which she swore was her last one for the night, “Long story short, we made up and now we’re happily in love and my mind isn’t trying to destroy me any more.” She snorted, which in turn made Sugar giggle.

“So Daphne, I know most girls don’t like to kiss and tell, but how was IT?!” She asked, trying to place emphasis on the ‘it’.

Daphne looked at her, puzzled for a moment, and then her eyes went wide when she realized what Sugar meant. If she had taken a drink she would have either choked on it or spit it back out in Sugar’s face, “Oh…you…you mean…’IT’?!”

“That IS what I asked Daphne.” Sugar giggled again.

“We haven’t done IT yet”, Daphne admitted. “We were a little intimate this morning, but we haven’t done IT.” Her cheeks flushed and she looked over at Osgood. 

“Are you serious?!” Sugar Asked, “The first moment we were alone after coming to stay here, Joe couldn’t keep his hands off of me! I didn’t get a wink of sleep, but it sure was fun and the best part, no squeezed out tube of tooth paste!” She giggled. 

Daphne rubbed the back of her neck, “I just don’t know if I am ready for all of that. I mean make it straight forward, guy and a girl, that would be a no brainer…but two…” She swallowed hard and then trailed off “….men…” 

“But you are a woman, silly! Just do what’s right for you. I know Osgood will love you no matter what. He’s such a sweetheart, Daphne. He’ll understand perfectly!” She said genuinely. 

“He is a sweetheart…” she trailed off and looked over at Osgood and smiled, then looked back at Sugar “Thanks, Sugar.”

“Anytime, Daphne”, Sugar said and swam forward to give Daphne a quick hug. “Now, let’s go keep our men company so they don’t get too lonely!”

“Haha, alright!” Daphne responded, and they both swam to the ladder. 

Daphne motioned to Sugar, saying ‘after you’; she smiled and ascended the ladder. However much of ‘Jerry’ was left in Daphne, eyed Sugar’s amazing hourglass shape as she stepped onto the cement. It honestly didn’t affect her like it would have for straight laced Jerry, but something was still there. Daphne climbed out and swayed a bit, nearly falling into the water. Sugar caught her and they both had a wonderful laugh over it. Sugar handed Daphne her towel and then grabbed for her own. When they were mostly dried off, they took their bathing caps off and threw their robes on. Daphne had a bit of trouble though, so Sugar had to help her. When they were ship shape, Daphne locked her arm with Sugar’s and then stumbled over to where their husbands were.

Daphne was glad that Osgood decided to have a fire made in the little fire pit because she was beginning to grow goose pimply all over. Sugar sat down with Joe and curled up against him. Daphne, so very gracefully, plopped down on the bench next to Osgood. Her plop made Osgood’s body jump slightly, from the force, but he looked at her with the biggest smile. Daphne leaned in to kiss him on the cheek and then rearranged herself so she was lying on the bench and her head was in Osgood’s lap. 

“Ahhh, perfect” she slurred and then laughed to herself. 

“Daphne, I think you’re cut off” Joe said and then laughed.

“I’m perfectly fine…Joseph!” she turned her head and stuck her tongue out at him.

Osgood chuckled “Be nice, Daphne” he said, and started running his hand through her curls. 

“But…I AM being nice…” Daphne said and crossed her arms. 

“Whatever you say, darling.” Osgood said and then turned back towards Joe and Sugar to laugh.

They ended up talking and enjoying the evening until about 11:00. Joe had to peel Sugar off of him because she was nearly asleep against his chest. He knew it was time to get her back home and in to bed. Osgood made Daphne get up so they could walk their guests to the door. Daphne wasn’t swaying as much anymore, which was good. Sugar sleepily gave Daphne a big hug and a kiss on the cheek and then she did the same to Osgood. Joe shook Osgood’s hand and gave Daphne a brotherly hug. No matter what, Joe knew he still valued their friendship. 

Osgood and Daphne stood in the doorway as Sugar and Joe disappeared into the night and started their car up. When they began to pull away, Osgood closed the door and rang the small bell by the door to get the butler. When the butler came into the foyer, Osgood asked him to clear the glasses, put out the fire and close up the patio for the night. The butler nodded and headed out to do his job. 

Daphne had already begun to sleepily ascend the stairs. Osgood followed up behind her. Daphne may have had a masculine figure, but boy could she sway those hips. He watched her intently; until they got to the top of the stairs. Without thinking, Daphne turned left to head down to her room for the night and Osgood was puzzled. 

“Daphne?” Osgood called out to get her attention.

She turned around and started walking back towards him with half lidded eyes and a little, still slightly drunk, smile “Yes, Osgood?”

“Baby, do you want to sleep in my room with me again tonight?” He asked softly.

“I’m so tired I almost forgot about you.” She said with a quiet laugh “Let me go change into my pajamas and then I will be right over, ok?”

She put her arms around him and gave him a very warm hug. Osgood happily hugged her in return and smoothed his hands along her back. 

“You feel nice…” she said sleepily against his ear “…and you smell nice too.”

Osgood chuckled at her drunken statements and thought how adorable she sounded. “Daphne, you better go change. Pretty soon you’ll fall asleep standing up.”

“Alright, Osgood. I’ll be in your room before you know it” She said as she pulled herself away and kissed him sweetly on the cheek. 

Osgood gave her one of his trademark big smiles, “Ok honey, I’ll be waiting for you.” 

He stood and watched Daphne saunter down the hallway, trying her hardest not to fall on her face. Last night, Osgood thought Daphne was going to leave him and that he would never truly be happy again. Tonight, he knew his wife would be joining him again, keeping him company in his bed. He turned to walk away and rubbed his cheek as he did. He could still feel her lips against his skin and he smiled at the thought.

Daphne finally reached her bedroom, stripped out of her bathing suit and even though it was mostly dry, it still clung to her as she pulled it down her body. Where the suit was still damp, it left cold wet spots. She shivered and she rushed to try to get her pajamas over her body. She didn’t feel like putting on underwear and she knew Osgood would like it. She was even tempted to throw on nothing but a nightgown for Osgood, but decided against it…’maybe another time’ she thought to herself and giggled.

She sat down at her vanity and noticed there was very little makeup still left on her face, but what was left did make her look like a raccoon. She laughed at herself and sloppily wiped the remnants off and put a bit of perfume on. Then, she got up, went into the bathroom and attempted to brush her teeth. After she finished her nightly routine she turned off her room light and shut the door behind her as she headed to Osgood’s room. She hadn’t even put on a robe or slippers. She stumbled slightly and yawned as she walked down the hall.

When she came to his room, his door was open for her. She walked in and heard his shower running. The only bit of light in the room was what was shining out from underneath the bathroom door. She still felt slightly dizzy from the alcohol but the feeling was enjoyable. Osgood had his French doors open and a breeze blew through. It felt so nice but it made her sleepy, so she decided to crawl into her husband’s bed. Without really thinking about it, she climbed in on Osgood’s side and wrapped his blankets tight around her. 

She let her eyes fall shut while her mind focused on the sound of the shower running in the bathroom. Her mind also wandered to Osgood standing naked in the shower, running the soap along his body and the suds dripping down along his... She had the urge to join him, but shook the thoughts away and shifted, to keep her semi erect penis from jabbing into her. Daphne felt herself beginning to fall asleep and she couldn’t stop it from happening. Her eyes fluttered momentarily and then they fell shut once and for all; she was fast asleep. 

Osgood’s POV

Osgood emerged from the shower and began to finish up his nightly routine. He dried off, put his pajamas on, ran a comb through his hair and then brushed his teeth. He turned off the light in his bathroom, but quickly realized that his entire bedroom was dark. He was expecting a light to be on and his wife to be awake. So, he called out into the darkness with a whisper, “Daphne?”, but the only thing he got in response was faint breathing. 

He crept over to his bed side lamp, turned it on and found Daphne, curled up under the blankets, fast asleep. She was lying on his usual side of the bed and that amused him. She looked so beautiful while she slept and he smiled. Before he turned off his lamp, he caught sight of his alarm clock, just after midnight. He then turned the lamp off and fumbled his way around the bed. He would have crawled across but he figured he’d wake Daphne and he didn’t want to disturb her slumber.

He slid in on the other side of the bed and mimicked Daphne’s motions the morning before. He pulled the blanket up to carefully scooted closer to her until he was flush against her back. He bent his legs to match the way she was curled up. As he nuzzled into her neck, he smelled the faint smell of sweet flowers and knew she had put on a bit of perfume for bed. He wrapped his arm around her middle and gave her a gentle squeeze.

That was when she groaned and shifted a bit. “…Osgood?” she whispered with a raspy voice.

“Yes, Daphne, it’s me” Osgood whispered and kissed the back of her neck “Go back to sleep, baby.”

Instead of staying still, Daphne turned over to face Osgood. She sleepily sought his lips and Osgood moved his head slightly to help her. The kiss was gentle at first, and then slowly grew with lust as she pulled him in closer. Despite having brushed her teeth, Osgood could still smell the whiskey on her breath. When Daphne moved away from his lips, she shifted her body down a bit and nuzzled her face into Osgood’s neck. She continued giving him small kisses on his neck while her hand slid up his side. His shirt slid along with her fingers and he felt himself begin to react to her touches. Her fingers felt so good as they ran along his bare skin, better than he ever could have imagined. He let a moan escape involuntarily and Daphne chuckled softly. 

Osgood knew she was still feeling the effects of the alcohol and he didn’t want their first time to be sloppy and hasty; incoherent. He wanted her to remember every single second and to enjoy their love making. He needed her full consent and right now, he felt she wasn’t able to give it. As much as he wanted her to keep touching him, and for this to lead to sex, he knew the right thing to do was to end it before it went any further.

He pushed his hips back slightly, and covered her wandering hand with his own. “I love you, beautiful, but let’s get some sleep, ok?” he asked and squeezed her hand gently.

Daphne stopped and looked up at him, momentarily confused. “Don’t you like it?” She slurred slightly. 

“On the contrary, Daphne. I want you more than anything, but I want to do this when we both have a clear head. I want us both to savor every moment when we first explore each other. You mean so much to me, my beautiful girl.” Osgood said and smiled at her.

Daphne nodded and then leaned in so they could share one last kiss. She didn’t seem offended as she lazily sunk back down against Osgood and he rubbed her back. Her hand moved to rest along his collar bone. Osgood swore he heard her whisper ‘I love you’ but it was so faint, he couldn’t be sure. 

He gave her a gentle squeeze in response and whispered “I love you, Daphne.”

He heard her breathing even out and knew she was sound asleep again. He held her close and allowed himself to get comfortable. Sleep was fast on his tail and he was anxious for morning to come.


	8. Takeover/Sanction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The pressure of the years  
> Delivers me back into your grip  
> I am pledging my love to you  
> Still waiting"
> 
> \- Takeover (Katatonia)

Daphne awoke to a stream of sunlight in her eyes. She squinted as she sat up and realized it was coming in through the balcony doors. She was tempted to get up and shut them, but there was still a nice breeze coming in and she was far too comfortable to get out of Osgood’s bed. 

She leaned over to see what time the clock said. It was nearly 9:00am, which was early for Daphne, but she actually felt rested and energized for the first time in months. Clearly, sleep comes far easier when you have a clear conscious. Also, the fact that she had no hangover amazed her, after all of the drinks she had the night before. 

She lay back down and turned to face Osgood as he slept. He was lying on his back, his face turned in her direction, his right hand was on his chest and his left hand was on the pillow beside his head. Daphne lay still for a while, just watching him sleep. 

Though there wasn’t a smile on his face, something about his expression told her that he was happy anyway, and that made her smile. She knew there was at least a 30 year age difference between them and as weird as it sounded, he was old enough to be her father. However, the age gap just seemed to fade away when she thought about their relationship. All she could see was a man she had fallen in love with and who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He was nothing but a ball of energy with a truly kind soul, sporting a face that was equally adorable and attractive at the same time, not to mention his heart-stopping physique. 

Daphne felt bad that she had fallen asleep so early, when Osgood probably had a romantic night planned for them. They had been married for a week now and had yet to celebrate their new connection, though that was because of Daphne’s mixed feelings. Now that she finally admitted what her heart truly wanted, she wanted to give the romance a try. Osgood deserved to be repaid for the orgasm he gave her the day before. 

The blanket was pulled halfway down his chest and was free to be moved without disturbing him. So she sat up and gently pulled the blanket down his body. When the blanket was moved away, she moved her hand down, just where she wanted it to be. He wasn’t hard yet, so she started rubbing him gently; it felt so strange to her; touching another man’s penis, but oddly enough, not as foreign as she expected. 

Before meeting Osgood, Jerry never gave men a second thought, let alone ANY thought, clearly. Jerry had some relations with women, but they were few and far between. Joe was the true ‘lady’s man’ in the pair, and usually got the girl while Jerry had to stand by and watch. Jerry usually felt inadequate somehow, whether Joe made him feel that way or his subconscious did, he was never sure. He eventually just stopped really putting himself out there. 

When Daphne came out of her day dream, her eyes met Osgood’s and she realized he was looking up at her. Her eyes widened for a split second, in surprise, but she continued touching him. He didn’t flinch as Daphne smoothed her hand along his pajama bottoms, applying just enough pressure for the feeling to take effect. She then leaned in closer to him and pressed her lips against his. Osgood inhaled deeply, moaned into the kiss and moved both of his arms up to wrap around Daphne’s neck. Daphne moved her hand away from Osgood's growing erection and up his side. Her other arm came around him and she moved in as close to his body as possible. The kiss was passionate but Osgood was nearly out of breath and he needed to refuel.

He pulled away and looked up at Daphne; breathlessly he said, “Zowwieeeee!”

Daphne giggled and decided to play coy. She put on an innocent smile and asked “Zowieee what, Osgood?”

“What a way to wake up, to find my beautiful wife watching over me…and stroking me.” Osgood slowly sat up and leaned on his shoulder, adding, “You’re such a treasure, Daphne.” He lifted his chin, wanting her to kiss him again and he moved his right hand to her cheek. Daphne obliged and her lips met his. While Daphne was distracted by the kiss, Osgood took the lead.

Osgood lowered his hand from her cheek and softly pushed at her collarbone, signaling that he wanted her to lie down. She obeyed, rolled onto her back and laid her head down against the pillows. Osgood swung his leg overtop of Daphne with ease and started slowly, but firmly, thrusting his hips into Daphne’s. Daphne moaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around him tight. She felt herself beginning to react to him, reacting to the advances of a man. A lump formed in her throat while simultaneously trying to relax. There was still a part of her that felt ashamed but the rest of her wanted everything a man could offer. 

Osgood pulled his arms out from around her and then broke the kiss to sit up. Daphne watched as Osgood unbuttoned his shirt, took it off and then threw it down to the end of the bed. She instantly moved both of her hands up to run along his chest. She could feel his muscles and his skin was so soft. She felt so content running her hands all over him. 

“I have the most handsome husband.” she said and looked up at him with lust in her eyes.

“Mmmm, thank you…and I want to see my beautiful wife” He tugged at the hem of her pajama shirt and asked “May I?”

Daphne instinctively moved her hands to stop Osgood from removing her shirt and froze there, just over her chest. She looked up into Osgood’s eyes and realized she must have the look of horror upon her. She went to speak, but all that came out was a croak, at first. 

“What’s wrong, baby?” Osgood asked, worried. 

“Are…are you sure you’re ready for the illusion to drop?” Daphne questioned. 

Osgood’s brow furrowed “Illusion? What are you talking about?” 

“I know you’ve seen me in men’s clothes before, and of course you’ve seen me as Daphne, in my dresses, and all that. But, you haven’t seen what’s underneath, the real me, and I don’t want that to change what we have, Osgood. You’ve touched me, but you haven’t seen me.”

“My poor sweet girl.” Osgood started and pushed himself back to sit on her lap “Daphne, there is no illusion. Here, sit up for me.”

Osgood held his hand out for her to take. Daphne obliged and sat herself up, with Osgood’s help. To steady herself, she put her hands on Osgood’s hips and She came forward as far as she could go. Osgood put his hands on her cheeks and lifted her head up just as he leaned in for a loving kiss. Then, he pulled back and looked deep into her eyes. Daphne felt as if he was boring into her soul and she was transfixed. Then suddenly, he spoke, softly but abruptly. 

“I want to know you, explore you, and love you, in every way possible. I know you don’t have female breasts, or a vagina, but I still want you, just as you are. I want to see you at your most vulnerable, to caress you; to have what I call mine.” Osgood moved his hands to run down her neck, sensually, until he got to the first closed button on her top and asked again, sweetly “Please, may I?”

Daphne smiled up at him and finally nodded. Osgood smiled too and leaned in again to continue kissing her. She kept her hands on Osgood’s hips and she felt him go from one button to the next. She felt the slight rush of air against her chest and felt her shirt beginning to fall open. Then, she could tell that Osgood had just undone the last button. His hands then came up to her shoulders to begin pushing the fabric down her arms. Daphne let go of Osgood’s hips and put her arms behind her so she could grab at the fabric herself and pull it the rest of the way down. She took her shirt and tossed it onto the floor. 

She looked up at Osgood with a shy smile and then settled back down on the bed. She felt really exposed, showing her boyish figure, but tried her hardest to not let him know that she still felt embarrassed. She gave Osgood another small smile and resisted the urge to cover her chest up with her arms. Instead, she held her arms out to him, asking him to come to her. 

Osgood happily closed the distance and put his arms around her. They both sighed as their bare chests pressed together and Osgood gave her a devoted kiss. Then, he pulled back and maneuvered himself so he was lying to Daphne’s right. She turned only slightly towards him and watched as he ran his hand over her chest. Of course, she had breasts, just not ‘female’ breasts. He gently massaged them and ran his fingers over her nipples. It was an oddly satisfying sensation and Daphne allowed her eyes to flutter shut. 

“You’re so beautiful, Daphne.” Osgood said and reached up to run the back of his hand along her cheek.

Daphne opened her eyes again pulled at Osgood so he was almost on top of her again. Their lips crashed together in a searing kiss. She actually loved the way it felt to have him pressed against her and she was beginning to react again. She even let a moan slip out without meaning to. Osgood pulled away, with the look of only partial satisfaction on his face and Daphne looked at him, wanting to know what was wrong.   
“I must admit, Daphne, I’m a very greedy boy…” Osgood started, “May I remove your pajama bottoms too? I need to see and feel all of you.” Osgood said with a very loving smile but an obvious undertone of fervent lust. 

“Please, Osgood” She answered back, softly.

Osgood kissed her hard in response “Thank you, sweetheart. I’m just aching to see every last inch of you…” he whispered against her lips, as he pulled away, and he couldn’t help but give her another gentle kiss on the cheek.

He sat up again and reached down to undo the tie on her pajama bottoms, ever so gently. He looked at her with a smirk as he stretched the strings out to their full length and then let them drop. He put his hands on the waist band and continued to look into Daphne’s eyes. Somehow, it helped ease her mind, for him to be looking at her like that. She felt him tug at her pants, so she lifted her hips to make things simpler.   
Osgood began to pull her pants down slowly. His eyes went wide and his mouth slightly gaped when her erection was exposed. His expression was not unlike the first time he laid eyes on her at the resort in Florida. He had never felt so excited before just from exposing a partner’s body. 

“It really arouses me to see that you wear nothing underneath you pajamas, Daphne” He purred. 

Daphne smiled “I know you like it that way” she said, and lifted her legs as Osgood pulled her pants down her thighs and then past her knees. After that, they were off in a flash and thrown down to the end of the bed. 

“Daphne, would it be alright if I did the same?” Osgood asked softly “I want to be skin to skin with you, completely.” 

She nodded again and watched as Osgood got up off the bed and stood beside it to undress. He pulled his pajama bottoms off and tossed them on the floor. Then he came back up and grabbed at his underwear, slipping them down his legs as well. He tossed them behind him and then he turned back to his Daphne. 

Daphne looked him up and down and quickly caught sight of his erection which jutted out. God was he ever well endowed. She had never seen another man’s penis in her entire life, maybe in a painting somewhere, but not in real life. Osgood’s body was amazing. He was so physically fit and she admired that about him. She bit her lip in anticipation and Osgood noticed right away. 

Daphne had turned slightly, onto her right side and Osgood got on his knees to crawl onto the bed to be with her. He stopped mid crawl and sat back on his legs to look at her. He looked at her face and then let his eyes wander all of the way down to her toes. Then as his eyes came back up, he ogled her erection for a moment, and then continued up to meet her eyes and he smiled. 

“You’re so lovely, in anything you wear, but you’re even more beautiful when you’ve got nothing on” Osgood cooed and then continued his move forward. “Zowieee!”

Daphne couldn’t help but laugh at Osgood “You know just how to flatter me.” 

Osgood stopped again and leaned in to give a chaste kiss to the head of her cock “I love seeing how hard you are for me.” He said, seductively and Daphne took in a sharp breath. 

He came into her arms as she put them around his neck. Osgood’s arms came around her waist and he pulled her as close to him as possible. They moaned at the feeling of their naked bodies brushing up against one another and they crashed their lips together in a heated kiss. 

Osgood’s hands moved down to her bottom. He gave her left cheek a firm squeeze with his right hand and Daphne squeaked into the kiss; Osgood chuckled with satisfaction. He forced her hips into his and she moaned at the contact. Their cocks rubbed together and Daphne had to pull away from his lips to cry out. Feverishly, they thrust their hips together, panting and groaning.

“I love the way you move, baby” Osgood purred against her lips and he reached down between them to stroke both of their cocks at the same time “…such a good girl”.

“Oh, Osgood!” Daphne moaned and held onto him like he was the only thing keeping her alive. 

“Mmm, and I just love the way you say my name.” Osgood said with so much lust in his voice. 

“Kiss me again” She demanded while out of breath and Osgood didn’t need any further instruction.

Osgood's lips attacked hers, but only briefly, as he continued along her jaw line and then along her neck. His hand moved away from their cocks and his hands went back to her bottom. He caressed her cheeks and then squeezed them again, firmly, as he forced her cock against his once more. Without thinking, Daphne brought her right leg up over his hip, allowing their movements to be more in sync and Osgood loved how daring she had become. 

However, a few moments after moving her leg, Osgood stopped thrusting his hips and moved his hands from her bottom. He moved them up to her hips and tried to hold her in place. Daphne pulled back from the heated kiss to look at him with a puzzled expression. Osgood searched her eyes, like he was trying to build up the courage to say, or to ask her, something. Daphne lowered her leg, wondering if she had gone too far and a twinge of anxiety swam through her.

When Osgood noticed her anxious expression, he rubbed her arm and smiled, “Daphne, I love you so much…” He started so he could ease Daphne’s mind. “Would you allow me…to make love to you?” he asked with all seriousness in his voice.

Daphne pulled away, wide eyed, to see Osgood better and his hand came up to rub her side. Suddenly, she was too embarrassed to look at him. She was tough as nails, most of the morning, anyway. She couldn’t find her words and bit her lip instead. 

Osgood smiled at her and lifted his head to kiss her forehead “You don’t feel like you’re ready for this yet, do you, sweetheart?” He asked as he pulled back to look at her. 

Daphne finally seemed to come up with a response to his question “I do…like the idea of us finally being able to…be physical with each other. It’s just so…different and I…” She looked down between them and then back up to meet Osgood’s eyes “You’re so…” She looked down again “I’m afraid it will hurt.”

Osgood’s ego grew when he realized what she was trying to say and he smirked. “I’m going to take that as a huge complement” he started, playfully, and then softened “I respect your decision completely, Daphne. I love you and I won’t ever force you into a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable. We’ll try again another time, ok?” 

“I’m sorry…” She started, but Osgood cut her off by kissing her.

“Don’t you dare apologize, silly girl.” He said as he pulled back.

“I just feel so ashamed, Osgood. You’ve wanted me for so long and here I am, yet again, denying you.” Daphne said.

“Listen to me. You are not denying me anything. Having you in this bed with me and being able to see, and feel, every inch of you right now is heaven enough. You have nothing to be ashamed of, baby.” Osgood said, with complete sincerity.

“I love you for understanding.” Daphne said, with a small smile.

“Anything for you, Daphne.” Osgood said rubbed her arm again.

Daphne looked back down at Osgood’s groin and perked up slightly. He was still hard for her and he made his cock pulse, proving to her that he hadn’t lost interest. The sight alone made her want to touch him, to please him. Her eyes wandered back up to his and he winked at her. 

“Osgood, would it be alright if I…?” She asked, paused and then motioning towards his cock. 

“Please, Daphne…” He said, trying to hide the desperation in his voice.

Daphne reached out, apprehensively, and ran her fingers up the length until she reached the head. When she got to there, she squeezed and massaged it with just the right amount of pressure. Osgood took in a deep breath and sighed but continued to watch her intently. Daphne moved her eyes away from her actions and back up to his face. He looked like he was in heaven, which reassured her. Then, she wrapped her hand around his length, gave it a gentle squeeze and moved her hand upwards. Osgood moaned and his hips bucked up towards her hand.

“Am I doing alright, Osgood?” Daphne asked.

“You’re incredible, sweetheart.” Osgood breathed out.

Daphne stroked him a few more times before she moved her hand away. Osgood’s chest rumbled again and he put his hand under her chin, lifting her head and bringing her forward so he could kiss her. She was just as good as he imagined her, if not better. The beast in him wanted to pin her to the mattress and take her right then and there, but he knew he’d scar her forever if he acted on those urges. 

“Baby, your fingers are magic…thank you.” he said against her lips. 

She ducked her head and blushed “You’re welcome, Osgood.”

“You know, I’d love to give you a treat for being so good to me.” Osgood said and sat up further. 

Daphne smiled at him and asked with her own purr “Oh yea? What kind of treat?”

“Just lay back and relax, honey.” he whispered against her lips and kissed her again.

When he left her lips, he continued along her jaw line and down her neck. He kissed and nibbled there and Daphne moaned in approval. Osgood took the opportunity to shift his body so he was back to straddling his Daphne. He thrust his hips forward, running his cock along Daphne’s and she bit her lip to stifle another moan. 

He started to move along Daphne’s body, kissing his way down. He came across her chest and moved his lips to her left nipple. He let his tongue go in circles around it while he pinched her right one. Daphne lost control of her hips and thrust them up and Osgood chuckled. Then, he switched sides, taking her right nipple into his mouth. He pinched the left one harder than the right one and Daphne hissed with pleasure.   
Osgood left her nipples and continued kissing down her stomach, following the fine hair trail along the way. Daphne giggled and Osgood smiled into the kisses. His fingers ran along her bare skin by her hips and she started panting. He loved the way she was reacting to him. He moved to start kissing along her hip bones and he allowed his nails to gently rake down her sides. Her panting increased and she bit her lip again. His lips traveled further down and Daphne’s heart started pounding faster and heavier. 

Finally Osgood’s face was just inches away from where Daphne wanted it to be. She felt a sense of relief, until she realized he had bypassed her cock and kept kissing lower on her body. Then, he got off of her so he wasn’t straddling her legs and almost instantly, she lifted and spread her legs for him, trying to make it obvious where she wanted his lips to be. 

“What a tantalizing view. You look delicious with your legs spread wide for me.” Osgood breathed out and ran his hand over his cock. 

He smiled at her and came in quick, kissing and licking along her inner thighs. Daphne moaned and her cock twitched at the feeling of his lips on her most sensitive areas. Osgood looked up and noticed precum had dripped down from the head of her cock and all thoughts of teasing went out the window. He leaned his head in and right away he let his tongue come out to lick the precum away. It was almost sensory overload and tears came to Daphne’s eyes. She managed to use all of her strength to sit up on her elbows so she could watch her husband go down on her. She looked at him and they locked eyes as he licked his way down her length. 

When Osgood finished licking, he gave the head a small kiss and then winked at Daphne. Then, that quickly, he happily took the head of her cock into his mouth. Daphne sighed as she watched him swallow her, inch by inch. He took all of her in so swiftly and slowly started bobbing his head up and down; god did it ever feel good. Daphne moaned and fell back against the pillows. She never knew it was possible for another person, especially a man, to make her feel so damn good. His mouth felt amazing.

It wasn’t long before she registered that Osgood was letting his own moans go free while he was down between her legs. Daphne managed to sit up again and realized Osgood was stroking himself as he worked to get her off. Guilt ran through her and suddenly, she was overrun with the urge to have him take her like he wanted to. As much as she was enjoying what Osgood was doing to her, she wanted him to make love to her. She needed to know what it would feel like to be penetrated by her husband. 

She put her hand on his shoulder to try to get him to stop and said his name to get his attention. He paused, with her cock still in his mouth, and looked up at her. She crooked her finger at him, smiled and said “Come here…”

Osgood pulled her cock from his mouth and slowly move up her body like he was in a trance. He stayed between her legs, put a hand on each side of her, and inched forward. Daphne lifted her head, showing that she wanted Osgood to kiss her. Almost as soon as his lips touched hers, she wrapped her legs around him, grabbed for his cock and started to stroke him again. He moaned into the kiss and then pulled back to look at her. 

“Osgood” she spoke softly, “I want you to make love to me.”

His eyes went wide and he said, “Don’t say yes just because you want to please me, honey. I don’t want to push you into something you aren’t ready for.”

“No, Osgood. I’m sure. You want to share yourself with me…and I want to share myself with you” She said and brought her arms up around his neck again. She kissed him on the lips and then continued the kisses along his cheek and then her lips got to his ear “I need you, Osgood, take me…please?” She asked with a moan and then grew very bold and ran her tongue along his ear lobe. 

Osgood sighed with relief and put his arms around her middle again. “Oh my beautiful girl” he whispered against her cheek and then turned his head, wanting her to bring her lips back to his. She took the hint and kissed him back, hard. “Just sit tight, honey” Osgood said as he pulled back. 

Daphne flattened her legs so he could climb over her. She watched as Osgood got up and opened his bedside table. He was rummaging around for something and Daphne tried to focus on calming her nerves. She spread her legs again and started stroking her cock. Just as Osgood turned back to her, she moaned, and he froze to watch her. Daphne turned her head to look at him. She bit her lip as she stroked herself and ran her left hand over her chest. She said his name under her breath and Osgood licked his lips. 

Osgood started moving again and planted himself back between her legs. He eyed her up and down and then ran his nails down her inner thighs, lightly, making her shiver. He enjoyed seeing his naked wife on his bed, cock erect and legs spread, just for him. Jolts of electricity shook him and made his own cock twitch in anticipation. He never felt such an incredible lust for any of his previous wives, only for his Daphne. 

Osgood leaned in to kiss her, “I’ll be very gentle honey, I promise” he reassured her as he pulled away from the kiss. 

“I trust you” she said.

Osgood spoke softly “You’re the most beautiful person in the world, Daphne. I’m so glad you’re mine.”

Daphne gave him a small smile and continued to watch his every move. Osgood reached for the small jar and twisted the lid off. He dipped his middle finger in and pulled it out with a dab of its contents on the tip. It was some kind of lotion, maybe? Oh wait, no, it’s Vaseline. This was getting very real and Daphne swallowed hard.

Osgood coated his middle finger in the Vaseline and then looked down at his wife and asked, “Are you ready, Daphne?”

“As ready as I can be” She laughed nervously but spread her legs a bit wider. 

“I promise I’ll take it very slow.” He reassured her, again, and patted her bottom with his other hand. 

Daphne nodded and tried her best to relax. She felt as Osgood spread her cheeks and rubbed along her entrance. When she was slick enough on the outside, he pressed his finger against her entrance and let it push through. He felt how tight she was and it really turned him on, until he began to realize she was very tense. 

He pulled out the little bit of his finger that he managed to get in. He stayed between her legs but came forward and leaned into her. He kissed her and then pulled back to speak softly “You’re very tense sweetheart. Just try to breath, Daphne, relax and I promise it’ll feel good. I just need to prepare you to make things easier, but you’ve got to relax for me, ok?”

Daphne nodded again and Osgood gave her a passionate kiss. When the kiss ended he whispered “I love you” and then pulled away completely. He resumed his original position, but added more Vaseline to his finger. “Remember sweetheart, just relax, breathe and relax.”

Daphne smiled and took his advice. She took some small breaths and blew them out, which actually did help her relax. Osgood rubbed his middle finger against her entrance again, and then began to push in. His finger went in far easier but he still pushed in slowly since he knew this was her first time. It made her virginal, in a sense, which was a major turn on in its own right. Osgood wasn’t a virgin for his first bride and few of his 7 or 8 brides were virgins for him. Thinking that he was the first person to take Daphne in such a carnal way made him moan for her.

When his finger was the entire way in; he looked up at her for any signs of discomfort. She seemed quite unchanged and he was relieved to see that. He took it as a sign that she was ready for the next step, so he started moving his finger around in circles, very slowly. That was when Daphne let out her first moan and Osgood looked up at her.

“Does it hurt?” he asked with a serious look on his face and froze instantly.

Daphne moaned again and then responded “No…it doesn’t hurt. It actually feels really good” she said and rotated her hips, urging him to continue.

Osgood smirked and resumed slowly moving his finger in small circles. Daphne continued gyrating her hips, making his digit go deeper. She was enjoying every minute of it. 

Osgood stopped his motions suddenly and spoke softly “I’m going to add a second finger, ok?”

Daphne nodded to Osgood. He added another finger and pushed in as far as both fingers would go. That was when Osgood hit her sweet spot. Daphne had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. 

“Ohhh, it feels so good…” Daphne moaned and pushed down, trying to make his fingers go deeper.

“I promised I’d make you feel good, baby.” Osgood replied and started moving his fingers in and out of her slowly.

Osgood looked down and saw that precum had beaded at the head of Daphne’s cock again. She locked eyes with him and he smirked as he leaned into her groin. He took the base of her cock in his left hand and ran his tongue over the head while he continued to finger her. Daphne’s head went back and her hips thrust forward involuntarily. 

When Osgood finished licking the precum away he looked up at her and said “My delicious little girl”.

Her cock twitched again at the sound of those words. However, as Osgood sat up, he slowly pulled his fingers out of her. Daphne whimpered at the loss and Osgood chuckled. 

“Don’t worry, honey. I’m not finished with you yet.” He said. 

He wiped his fingers off on the handkerchief that he had also grabbed from the drawer, and reached for the jar of Vaseline again. This time, when he took a dab out on his fingers, he sat back to run them along his length. He was painfully hard and throbbing at this point. He moaned as he spread the Vaseline over his cock and looked right into Daphne’s eyes as he did it. Daphne wrapped her hand around her own cock and pumped it in time with Osgood’s strokes. For a few moments they watched each other, moaning and longing for one another. 

Osgood figured he had himself coated well enough, so he placed himself back in between Daphne’s legs. Daphne spread her legs as far as she could and lifted them, giving him ample access to enter her. He leaned in slightly and placed his right hand on the bed beside her, to steady himself. 

Osgood looked her in the eyes and asked one more time “Are you absolutely sure you want this, Daphne?”

She looked up at him, smiled sweetly and replied “Yes, Osgood, I want this. I want you.”

“I love you so much. I will be very gentle, baby. I couldn’t bear to hurt you in any way” he said. 

“I know, Osgood, and I love you too” she said and braced herself for him to enter her. 

Osgood took his cock in his left hand, positioned it at her entrance and slowly pushed his hips forward. The head of his cock pushed through her entrance very easily and he continued forward ever so slowly. Osgood focused his eyes on hers, making sure not to miss any subtle signs of discomfort. When he didn’t need to steady his cock anymore, he paused to grab the handkerchief to wipe his hand off again. 

When he turned back to Daphne, he ran his right hand down her chest softly and then stopped down by her abdomen. He continued to push into her at an agonizingly slow pace. He wanted so badly to just pound his cock into her but he knew he needed to control his primal urges. 

Finally Osgood was completely sheathed inside Daphne and he sighed at the feeling. He stayed frozen for a moment, allowing her to get used to him. Then he leaned into her, brought both of his arms around her and kissed her passionately. Daphne’s arms went around his back and she returned the kiss. 

Osgood whispered against her cheek “You’re so amazing, Daphne.” He pulled back to look at her again and said “I’m glad we waited until it was day light to do this.”

“Why’s that?” she asked sweetly.

“Because, I don’t want to just hear your sounds. I want to watch the way you move too and see the expressions on your face while I pleasure you.” He said with a purr.

Daphne could hear the restraint in his voice. She knew he wanted so badly to move and luckily for Osgood, any discomfort she may have felt had melted away. So she whispered back “Go ahead Osgood, make love to me…please?”

Osgood moaned and brought his lips down on hers again. When he moved back from the kiss, he began his thrusts. Daphne felt as Osgood’s hips pulled back and then he came forward again. He continued to repeat the motions at a slow pace and Daphne felt comfortable enough to wrap her legs around Osgood’s waist. As his hips came forward again, he moaned loud into her ear, at the new ease of access. 

“My god Daphne…you feel incredible” he groaned and sped up his thrusts slightly. “I’m so glad you’re mine.”

Daphne wrapped her legs around him tighter and held him firmly. Osgood continued to quicken his pace, inciting more noises to pass between Daphne’s lips. They looked so delectable that Osgood swooped in and claimed them with his own. 

They both moaned into the kiss and then Daphne pulled away “You feel so good inside me, Osgood” she said, trying to catch her breath, but it kept getting caught in her throat. 

“Ohh yea? Do you want more of me?” he asked, grinning.

“God yes” she sighed.

Osgood pulled out slowly, so only the head of his cock was still inside of her. Then, he paused and looked down at her with that same lascivious grin. Daphne looked up at him with a furrowed brow and tried to force him back in with the strength of her legs. Yet somehow, Osgood managed to hold still. She moaned with frustration and tried shifting her hips, but Osgood held her hips down.

“Yes what, Daphne?” he asked, voice deep and with a semi mocking tone.

Daphne looked up at him, still puzzled, but then the corner of Osgood’s mouth turned up in a smirk. She finally grew wise to him and with barely a whisper, she moaned “Pleaseee”.

“Please what, Daphne?” he asked, hovering over her. 

Daphne had no idea how he could keep his cool so long when she knew very well that he wanted to just pound into her. After all, she did know how it felt to be in his place. She moaned louder “Pleaseeee, Osgood. I NEED you, harder…faster…anything, PLEASEEE!”

“Mmmmm, that’s a good girl” he purred and as he finally slammed back into her, he cover her mouth with his own as Daphne screamed into the kiss. 

God could he move. Daphne loved the way he gyrated his hips as he thrust in and out of her. She had no idea, until now, just how amazing sex could possibly be, especially with someone of the same biological sex. Daphne dug her fingers into Osgood’s back, holding him as tight as she could. She continued to cry out as Osgood kept forcing himself in and out of her. She felt like she was on fire; every nerve in her body trembling. She wanted so badly for this to go on forever, but she knew she wasn’t going to last much longer. 

“Osgood…” She moaned against his cheek. 

“Yes Daphne I’m here, right here, right now.” he said grunting and panting but moved slightly, to look down into her eyes.

“I…ohhh…I love you so much. You feel so damn amazing…I’m getting…” and she dug her nails into his back harder. Osgood hissed with pleasure and coaxed her on with each thrust. 

“Close?” He asked, interrupting her “I know sweetheart. I am too…god…I love you with everything in me!” 

Osgood panted, as he reached down between them to stroke her cock. Daphne cried out again at the much wanted contact from him. His thrusts hastened and Daphne dragged her nails along his back. She probably drew blood but Osgood didn’t seem to care and he moaned loud, urging her to continue. It really turned Daphne on, to know that her husband liked to be scratched during sex. 

Finally, Daphne knew she was on the brink of no return. Osgood could tell and brought his face back in close. “Say my name, beautiful; I know you’re nearly there…” he spoke breathlessly.

He continued his fast-paced thrusts, and as his hand came back up to the head of Daphne’s cock once more, she finally saw white. Her stomach tied into knots and she clenched around him. Her toes curled and she dug into his back as hard as she could to steady herself. 

“OHHHHH OSGOOOOD!!!” She screamed and clung to him for dear life. She felt like she might black out from the most intense orgasm of her life, or Jerry’s life, for that matter. 

Osgood continued to stroke her cock until he could feel that the pulsing had stopped. He was still thrusting into her but it was getting harder to keep up an exact rhythm. Hearing Daphne scream out his name and feeling her tighten around him was finally sending him over the edge. Daphne knew he was just about there and purposely clenched harder around him. Then, with one more thrust, he was there.

Osgood froze, threw his head back and moaned out “DAPHNEEE OHHHH DAPHNEEEE!!!” as he finished inside her.

Daphne reached up to caress his collarbone, then down his chest. Osgood looked down at her, focusing on her eyes as he came down from his orgasm. His hand was still wrapped around Daphne’s cock like he was permanently attached to her. He leaned in and kissed his wife, his chest still heaving. Daphne clenched around him one more time and he moaned into the kiss. After he broke the kiss, he fully collapsed against her body, nuzzling into her neck.


	9. Last Song Before the Fade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Above the horizon now  
> Upon the freezing tracks  
> Grasp for the embers of my life  
> You came back but so did I.

Daphne lowered her legs so they weren’t wrapped around Osgood’s waist anymore. She held him close and gently ran her hands along his lower back. Every few strokes against his skin sent a soft moan from his lips. She moved her left hand from his back and brought it up to his head. She smoothed her fingers through his hair and even though she was still in a daze, she could feel him smiling against her neck. 

“What are you smiling about, Osgood?” Daphne asked, softly. 

“I was just thinking that you sure know how to tire an old man out” he laughed quietly.

“Good”, she replied softly, kissed his temple, and then added, “But, no ‘old man’ could have possibly made me feel so damn good.”

Osgood lifted his head, smiled at her, and gave her a quick, but very loving, kiss. “I’m glad” he said.

He moved his hand away from her cock and then moved his hips back, ever so carefully, to pull out of his Daphne. One final dull shockwave jolted her and she sighed.

Daphne realized that she had finished on Osgood’s hand when he pulled away from her. Osgood sat back on his knees, looked down at Daphne and smirked, deciding to give her one last eye full. He brought his hand to his mouth and slid each finger past his lips, one at a time. She watched him intently as he licked and sucked his fingers clean, which was nearly enough to get her hard again. 

When he pulled his last finger from his mouth, he looked down at his wife and said “I know I’ve said it before, but you taste sooo good, Daphne.” 

“Watch it Osgood, or we may have to do this all over again” she said with a chuckle. 

“You say that like it’s a bad thing, but I wouldn’t mind taking you again.” He said and then laughed while leaning in for another quick kiss.

“I’ll be right back, honey” he said, and that quickly, he bounced off the bed and headed for the bathroom. 

Daphne heard him get in a cabinet and then turn on the sink for a few seconds. When he emerged from the bathroom, he had a small washcloth in his hand. He hopped back onto the bed and began wiping the remnants of their adventure off of Daphne’s stomach. He then ran the cloth over Daphne’s bottom, smiled sweetly when she was cleaned off and then wiped off his own stomach and his cock. He grabbed for the handkerchief, as well as the jar of Vaseline and got up off of the bed again. The jar went back into the night stand, and then he tossed the spent cloths into his laundry basket. 

When Osgood turned back to Daphne, she was lying there with her eyes barely open. She looked like she was in absolute bliss, and he ached to join her. He smiled at her and she held her arms out to him. 

“Come here, Osgood” she called to him, and he felt his heart skip a beat. 

Osgood happily climbed back into bed and into his wife’s arms. Daphne’s left arm went behind his neck and her right arm went around his middle. Osgood’s right arm went underneath her and around her back, while his left hand rested on her collar bone. They kissed tenderly, each one showing more love than the previous, and they held each other as close as possible. 

Daphne’s hands explored over his back, until she ran along the marks she left on him. Osgood winced as her fingers slid over a particularly deep scratch. She stopped kissing him and said “Turn around for me”.   
Osgood obeyed and turn around so she could see his back. Daphne gasped and then laughed as she looked over the damage. “My god, it looks like you were attacked by a cat! I’m so sorry!” she called out and laughed.

Osgood laughed with her and said “Don’t be sorry” He said as he turned back to face her. “All that matters is that we enjoyed ourselves in the moment, and by god did we ever have fun! I like a partner who isn’t afraid to be rough, and your nails down my back felt amazing! You’re the best sexual partner I’ve ever had, Daphne. I waited so long to have you, and now, I’m almost sad that our first time has passed.” He added as he ran his hand along her cheek. 

“Osgood, I’m sorry it took me so long to decide what I wanted. It was very selfish of me…” Daphne said with sadness in her voice.

“You have nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart. What I meant by ‘waiting so long’, was that I wanted you from the moment I first saw you. Call it lust, or maybe even love at first sight; I just know I wanted to make you feel good and take care of you.” He said with so much love in his voice. 

She smiled at him and asked “Osgood, did…did you know I wasn’t really a woman, you know…physically, when you first saw me?”

Osgood chuckled and then spoke, “As soon as you came into my sight, I knew you were different. I didn’t know how you were different, but I knew there was something. My eyes went wide as they locked on you, headed for the stairs to the hotel. I saw a beautiful woman walking in my direction, and I wasn’t about to let you get past me. I was thankful when you tripped out of your shoe because then I had a reason to talk to you...and touch you” Osgood said and smirked “I wanted to know what made you tick, what made you, you. I found I couldn’t get my mind off you after we parted ways in the lobby. So, later that afternoon, I gathered up all of my courage and called you up to make a date!”

“Couldn’t stop thinking about me having slapped your face, huh?” Daphne asked facetiously.

“What can I say? I like a woman with spunk!” Osgood raised an eyebrow and then laughed.

“So, when DID you realize I was…?” Daphne asked.

“That night at the roadhouse, I really began to study you. I sensed that you were very uncomfortable in another man’s arms, you knew how to lead a tango perfectly and with my arms around you, I could feel that you were not ‘built’ like ‘other’ girls”, Osgood paused to laugh as Daphne looked down at her frame “I knew, right as I leaned in to grab the flower from your teeth, that you were, at least physically, male.”

“Of all the moments that evening, why did THAT one stand out?” Daphne wondered.

“As I leaned into you, I inhaled deeply. Your perfume couldn’t hide your true scent. You gave off a musk that no woman could. It was instantly intoxicating and made me feel drunk, love sick, if you will. And when you dipped me at the end of the night, I swore I saw stars. The way you looked down at me as you held me; you were so beautiful…and so dominating. You hid your masculinity well and I know that everyone was fooled by your appearance. I didn’t care why you were dressed as a woman because all I could see was the beautiful person I was falling madly in love with. That’s why I asked you to marry me that night…to be my wife.” Osgood’s eyes twinkled and he leaned into Daphne for a gentle kiss.

“But that’s just it…” Daphne started after pulling away from the kiss.

“What’s just it?” Osgood questioned.

“After being with so many women over the years, what made you choose someone like me? I’m a sorry substitute for a woman.” Daphne laughed. 

“Honey, I love you for more than your sex and your…” he looked down at her groin, ran a finger along her length and then looked back up into her eyes, with a smirk, and added “amazing endowments.” Daphne shivered and Osgood chuckled quietly “I’ve never truly felt like I preferred one sex over the other. Sure, I’ve always been with women, but to me, as long as you’re happy, it doesn’t matter who you choose to be with. This time, I just happened to fall for a person who was born the same sex as me.”

“What is it about me that you like so much? I’ve never felt that I was all that great. Hell, I’m not even pretty!” Daphne scoffed. 

Osgood brought his hand up to pat her cheek lightly “My dear, you’re gorgeous, inside and out. You live life to the fullest, you’ve got a beautiful spirit, and to me, you’re simply the most beautiful person who has ever walked this earth. I don’t care whether you’re dressed as a woman or as a man. I don’t care whether you go by Daphne, or Jerry, because I love you for YOU, and nothing will ever change my mind about that.”

“But, what if I do decide to go back to wearing suits one day? What if I wanted to put on pants and a tie? What if I wanted to go by Jerry again and not Daphne anymore? Would you still love me if I changed what I looked like?” Daphne asked, hoping it wouldn’t change Osgood’s mind. 

“Well, if that was the case then I hope you’d let me help you with your tie…if you needed help. I’d gladly call you Jerry if you needed me to. I’ll call you by whatever name you feel most comfortable in. I meant what I said. We may not be able to remain husband and wife, if that were the case, but I’d still want you to be my life partner. You’re amazing and I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything else in the world. You are everything to me and even though I said ‘nobody’s perfect’ that night on the motor boat, in my eyes, you ARE perfect, Daphne.” Osgood said and smiled softly. 

Daphne’s eyes welled with tears. She pulled Osgood into a sweet embrace and kissed him hard. After she broke the kiss, she pulled back to say “I love you so much. I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love you, especially a man. Not like I was with enough women in Chicago to find out what I really wanted though!” She laughed and Osgood laughed with her.

When Osgood stopped laughing, he moved back a bit and asked “You were often over shadowed when you lived in Chicago, weren’t you?”

Daphne paused for a moment and then spoke “I guess I was. Joe and I were like brothers, and we did everything together, which often meant I was along to watch him, or help him, get the girl he wanted. Despite our friendship, he was a very selfish person and never tried to help me in the relationship department. His own gain was most important. So when he was off with his new tail, I was usually left on my own. Or if I came in late and found a wire hanger on the door knob, I knew I was sleeping out in the hall.”

“He made you sleep in the hall?!” Osgood asked, quickly finding Joe in very bad taste. 

“We shared a one room apartment. Even though we tried hanging sheets between our beds, he said he ‘couldn’t perform’ with me in the room. So I was left to curl up in the cold hallway while he staked his claim for the evening.” Daphne said. 

“That doesn’t seem very brotherly to me…” Osgood said with sadness in his voice.

“We had our moments and it didn’t happen every night. Sometimes he went to the girl’s place. He never had to sleep in the hall though. I had a few flings here and there, but Joe usually always got the girl.” Daphne lamented. 

“I’m sorry, Daphne” Osgood said in response. It was all he could think to say. 

“Don’t worry; it’s all in the past, Osgood. I can smile now, because I know I’ve finally got my prize. Dressing as a woman liberated me in some way, I guess, and I’m not afraid to be myself now. You lit a fire in me that I never knew existed and I believe that I’m stronger now, because of you. You’re exactly what was missing in my life and I am so grateful for you and your love.” Daphne said with the biggest smile. 

“My Daphne” Osgood cooed and pulled her closer to him. They shared another sweet kiss and then just cuddled for the longest moment. 

After a few moments, Osgood pulled away to speak, “You know, it may surprise you to know this…but you were my first ‘real’ partner who was born male.” 

Daphne raised her eyebrows and her eyes went wide “Really?!”

“Really” Osgood started, with a chuckle, “I’ve admired men from afar and I have entertained some before, but it never went further than kissing and a little touching.”

“My god, the way you treated me this morning, you’d think you were a pro!” Daphne exclaimed.

“Honey, I’m an ‘old pro’ in the bedroom when it comes to satisfying a woman. I also know how I like to be touched and what excites me the most. So I just used that knowledge to give you the best experience I could.” Osgood said with obvious pride in his voice.

“Well, you certainly fooled me! But I feel honored, knowing I was the first person like me that you took to bed.” Daphne giggled, winked and then asked “So, when did you first try your luck with a man?”

“It was New Year’s Eve, 1900, when we brought in the new century.” Osgood recounted. “My second wife, Margaret, and I threw a large party and our house was filled with guests. I had downed at least one bottle of champagne and was staggering around talking to everybody, when I caught sight of a young man I had never seen before, staring at me from across the room. I remember thinking he was beautiful and it was the strangest feeling that came over me.” he added.

“You weren’t put off by him making eyes at you?” Daphne asked.

“Not in the slightest. I had never thought about being with a man before that night, but something drew me to him. I felt hot and confined in my tails and I wanted his hands to strip the clothes from my body; to take the ache away.” Osgood answered. 

“So what did you do?” Daphne wondered. 

“No matter where I went his eyes seemed to follow me. After some time, I decided to pursue him. So the next time I caught his eye, I motioned for him to follow me, as I headed up the stairs. He followed shortly and caught up right behind me and followed me into my bedroom. As soon as we were inside, he shut the door and backed me up against the wall. His lips were on mine in an instant and his hands were running up and down my sides. We hadn’t even introduced ourselves. It was just instant passion.” Osgood remembered.

“Wow, what a picture.” Daphne sighed and then asked “What happened next?” 

“Well, he unbuttoned my trousers and just as he was about to put his hand inside, my bedroom door burst open. My wife stormed in and, furious at what she saw, began screaming at me. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the night following after her, trying to win her back. Though, to no avail, she promptly filed for divorce the next day, claiming homosexual adultery and she was awarded the decree.” Osgood said with a laugh and rolled his eyes.

“So, whatever happened to the man?” Daphne questioned.

Osgood pondered for a moment “I’m not too sure. I didn’t see him anymore that night but I did see him a few weeks afterwards. It was only in passing at a neighborhood party and he had a VERY young woman on his arm. I never saw him again after that.” 

“Were you upset that you lost him?” Daphne asked. 

“You’re full of questions, aren’t you?” Osgood asked cheerfully. “I wished I had gotten to experience more for my first time, but I never mourned for him. It was a one night encounter, like the many I had before that and I knew I would find someone else to have fun with.” 

Daphne briefly pictured herself pushing Osgood up against the wall of his bedroom and having her way with him. She thought of the moans she would get out of him and it was making her feel hot. Her now semi hard erection bobbed up against Osgood’s thigh while she day-dreamed and she ducked her head in embarrassment. Osgood smiled and rubbed her arm.

“I’d love to know what you were just thinking about, my naughty girl” Osgood said with a purr. 

“If I told you, we’d never get out of bed” Daphne said, smiling. 

“What’s wrong with that?” Osgood asked, bringing his face close to hers.

Daphne closed the distance between them and kissed him tenderly on the lips. When she pulled back she asked “Why don’t we go take a shower, together?”

“That sounds wonderful” he said happily.

Osgood sat up and held his hand out to Daphne. She took it, gladly, and he helped her sit up. Osgood got up off the bed first and went into the bathroom ahead of her. She followed close behind and came in just as Osgood was grabbing two towels from the linen closet. He set them on a chair that was near the shower and then he leaned in to start the shower. He ran his hand under the water, until it had warmed up enough, and motioned for Daphne to step in. 

She stepped right in under the shower and happily let the water run down her body. It felt so nice and she sighed as she held her face up under the shower head. Osgood had gone to grab a wash cloth for them to share and then stepped into the shower with Daphne. He closed the frosted glass door behind him and set the wash cloth on a small ledge on the wall. 

Osgood turned to face Daphne, who was still standing directly under the spray of water. He came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. He kissed her left shoulder blade and then rested his cheek on her upper back. Daphne didn’t let him stay like that for long though. 

She turned to face him and Osgood dropped his arms from around her waist. Even out of her heals; Daphne was an inch or two taller than her husband. She took the lead this time and put her hands around his waist. Osgood wrapped his arms around her neck. He really did enjoy when Daphne took over.

Daphne leaned in and kissed him. Then she pulled away and said softly “I love you, Osgood.”

“I love you too, Daphne” Osgood answered back happily and then asked “Would you like me to wash you?” 

“Yes please” she said, grabbed the wash cloth and then the bar of soap and handed it to him. 

Osgood ran the bar of soap and the wash cloth under the water and then rubbed them together. When he felt there was enough lather on the cloth, he started by running it along Daphne’s chest, up along her neck and then over top and underneath her right arm. He then came over and repeated the same actions on her left arm. Then he ran the cloth along her stomach and down around her groin. Osgood loved being a tease though, and he decided to run his hand down lower, along the base of her cock. 

Osgood snaked his other arm around Daphne’s waist to hold her steady as he briefly stroked her cock. The extra attention Osgood was giving her had her getting hard again and he smirked. Daphne let her eyes fall shut for a moment and then they fluttered back open. 

“So much for promising not to be a naughty boy…” she said with sarcasm. 

“That was before you got in bed with me” Osgood replied, his lips just inches away from hers. 

Before Daphne could even respond, Osgood bent down and ran the cloth along both of her legs, front and back, then her feet followed. As he went to stand back up he planted a quick kiss on the head of her cock and then he bounced back up to his full height. He chuckled and said “Turn around for me, honey.”

She stuck her tongue out at him and turned around so Osgood could wash around her neck, and then down her back. His other hand came up and he gently ran his nails down her back, causing Daphne to sigh in contentment. 

When he finished washing her, he sat the cloth down on the ledge and moved his hands towards her hips. He held her there firmly for a bit and then moved lower to go around to her back side. Without really thinking, Daphne spread her legs ever so slightly as Osgood caressed her bottom. 

He leaned in to speak softly into her ear as he squeezed her cheeks “Are you sore at all?”

“Sore? Uhh…maybe only a little, why?” she asked, silently wishing he’d repeat some of this morning’s events. 

“Oh, I was just curious; I wouldn’t mind taking you again later tonight is all…” he said with a hint of seduction. 

Daphne sighed and then yelped as Osgood playfully pinched her right cheek. Osgood laughed again and held the cloth under the water to rinse it. 

Daphne turned to look at him and feigned insult “You’re lucky I don’t slap you across the face, but I guess you’d like that too much.”

“You’re right about that, sweetheart. My turn?” asked sweetly.

“Certainly, your highness!” Daphne said as she grabbed for the soap and washcloth. 

“Thanks, Daphne.” he said with a wink and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. 

She turned back to Osgood and started washing his chest. She was still so surprised by how great his body looked for his age. He was so muscular and she found herself running her hand along his bicep, becoming distracted from the washing. Osgood cleared his throat and Daphne shook herself from her day dream. 

“Sorry, I was just admiring your incredible body” she said while running her hands up his chest and then leaned in for a lust-filled kiss. 

“Mmm, thank you, baby.” Osgood purred as their lips parted.

She then emulated his actions and knelt down to wash his legs. She started at his feet and slowly came up each leg. She decided she wanted to have fun too, so while she was still knelt down, she ran the cloth along Osgood’s groin. Then, she moved the cloth away and continued to run her hand along the same area, but just happening to avoid his cock. Osgood sighed as he looked down at her, wishing so badly that she’d touch him. However, Daphne looked up at him and smiled, knowing very well that she was being a tease. 

She eased her way back up, trying to stay as close to his body as she could. When she was standing back up, she leaned in to nuzzle against Osgood’s ear, like she was going to kiss him, but instead she whispered “Turn around.”

Osgood obeyed and soon he felt the wash cloth sliding along his back. He hissed at the pain from the soap seeping into the open scratches.

“Did that hurt, Osgood? I’m sorry…” she apologized and then became very tender with him.

She stopped washing him and wrapped her arms around his middle. She moved her face in close and gently kissed at the scratches she left on his back. Osgood placed his arms over top of hers and got lost in the feeling of Daphne’s lips against his skin. He thought about how he was never treated so tender like, not by a single person in his life. Just then, Daphne spoke and shook him from his thoughts. 

“Do they still hurt?” She asked in almost a whisper.

“A little, but your lips do wonders.” Osgood replied while turning to look over his shoulder. 

As Osgood turned his head, Daphne leaned in and pressed her lips to his. While she had him distracted, her right hand lowered to his groin and she gave his cock a few good strokes. He moaned into the kiss, but as quickly as she reached down to touch him, her hand was gone. That was when he registered that both of Daphne’s hands were now on his hips. Daphne tugged gently and backed him into her groin. Her hands ran along his hips while her lips moved along his neck. She heard him sigh and with barley a whisper, she said his name his ear. Osgood could feel Daphne’s erection pressed up against his cheeks and the small of his back. He felt like he was in heaven, as his wife’s finger tips danced all over his body. He almost didn’t register that her hands were now massaging his ass cheeks, but when he did realize it, it made a lump form in this throat. 

“Have you ever been touched like this before?” she asked softly against his ear.

“…No” he said breathlessly. 

Suddenly, Osgood felt a pinch on his bottom and he cried out. 

It was Daphne’s turn to laugh and she came close to his ear again “Sorry, Osgood, I couldn’t resist.” Then that quickly she pulled away and set the wash cloth back on the same shelf that Osgood had set it on.

“I guess I had that coming to me” Osgood chuckled and rubbed the spot where she pinched him. Then he turned around and gave Daphne a quick kiss on the lips.

Osgood shifted so he was underneath the spray of water and Daphne could tell his body was highly irritated by her teasing. He was fully erect now and his skin was flushed. It made him even more irresistible to her and she wanted to take advantage of that. 

He washed the soap from his body and Daphne turned to watch him do so. She eyed him up and down, hungrily, but Osgood didn’t seem to notice. He tipped his head back, closed his eyes, and held his breath while he let the water come down over his head and face. He smoothed his hands through his hair, then he pulled back to catch his breath and wipe the water from his eyes.

Daphne took the opportunity to put her hands on Osgood’s hips again. It startled him at first, but when he looked up, he couldn’t help but smirk. Daphne thought back to the story that Osgood had told her, about his first sexual experience with a male, and she wanted to emulate that, very nearly. So, she distracted Osgood by leaning in to kiss him, sweetly at first, and then more passionately. 

She leaned in more towards Osgood, which was making him unbalanced, so he felt for the wall behind him. Daphne smiled into the kiss and moved her left hand from Osgood’s hip, to the back of his head. With the aid of her hips, she pushed him up against the wall of the shower, her hand taking the slight blow as his head came back.

The tiles were cold against Osgood’s back and he cried out at the contact. His body reacted by attempting to thrust himself away from the wall and his hips collided with Daphne’s. She giggled and took the opportunity to bite Osgood’s bottom lip, which led to a moan slipping past his lips.

Osgood slid his hands up Daphne’s chest and then around her neck as they continued to kiss. Both of Daphne’s hands returned to Osgood’s hips for a brief moment, before they slid around to his bottom. She gave his cheeks a firm squeeze and then forced his cock into hers. Daphne pulled away from the kiss just as Osgood moaned from the contact and then she came in to bite his lip again, a little harder this time. 

Then she was feverishly kissing along his neck; loving the groans she was getting from her husband. She stopped the kissing and went for some small nibbles along the same place, then gave him one big bite. He cried out and clawed at the back of Daphne’s neck, his moans reverberating off of the shower walls. 

“What’s gotten into you?!” he questioned, panting, as Daphne pulled away. 

“Why? Don’t you like it? Do you want me to stop?” She asked softly and pulled back to look at him, with a very naughty grin. 

“God you make me ache” He responded, with want in his voice, and pulled Daphne flush against him. 

Daphne could feel his cock throbbing up against her abdomen and she loved it “Let me help you then, Osgood” She said against his lips and slipped her hand between them. She started stroking him again and Osgood moaned in approval. 

“I got you so hard, didn’t I?” she asked softly.

“Just the sight of you makes me hard, Daphne…but seeing you take charge like this makes me want to burst” Osgood responded.

He put his hands on each side of her face and pulled her in for a lip-bruising kiss. Then one of his hands left her cheek to go for her erection and she grabbed his hand that quick. Osgood pulled away from the kiss and looked at her, questioning her action.

“You’re getting all of the attention right now, Osgood” She said sternly, “Let me please you, like you did for me yesterday morning, ok?” She asked.

Osgood smiled big “Ok, sweetheart, ravish me…” he said.

“Gladly” she said and gave him a quick, but very passionate kiss.

She slid down Osgood’s body, got on her knees and started right off by kissing along his inner thigh. He watched her intently as her kisses came closer and closer to where he wanted her lips most. Luckily for him, Daphne felt like she had already teased him enough. She looked up at Osgood, he gave her one of his trademark smiles and she winked at him. 

She diverted her attention back to Osgood’s cock and took it in her right hand. She lifted it and started by licking along the length from underneath. Instead of going the entire way up, she went down and ran her tongue along his testicles. Osgood moaned and let his head lull back against the shower wall. She took one of his testicles in her mouth and started running her hand up and down his length. 

“Daphne…” Osgood sighed and looked down at her again. 

Just as Osgood looked down, Daphne had pulled his testicle from her mouth and she began to lick from the base of his cock, up to the head. Osgood bit his lip as he watched her, but as soon as she got to the head, she pulled away, smiled and then gave the head a slight kiss. She looked up at Osgood, licked her lips and Osgood watched her intently. She brought her lips back to his cock and slowly took the head into her mouth. Instantly, she could taste the precum that beaded at the top. She noted that it was somewhat sweet and she actually enjoyed the taste. She had yet to move her eyes away from Osgood’s gaze as she slowly continued to swallow him. 

Osgood moaned as he watched her take his length and then he leaned back against the shower wall to support his self. It was a surprise to Daphne when she realized she took all of him and Osgood smiled down at her, with want in his eyes. She pulled back up towards the head and moved her right hand to the base of his cock. She started bobbing up and down and moving her hand along with her head. 

Osgood felt like he couldn’t catch his breath. He thought to himself that being in a relationship with someone who was born male definitely had its perks. None of Osgood’s previous wives ever made him feel like this before. He moved his hands from the wall and wove his fingers through Daphne’s hair. She looked up at him again as he held onto the side of her head, those dark eyes bore into him. He loved the way she looked, down on her knees with his cock in her mouth. He licked his lips and spoke. 

“You’re such a good girl, Daphne. Ohhhh please don’t stop…it feels so damn good. Your mouth feels incredible.” Osgood moaned as he let his head fall back again. 

She sped up because she wanted to continue coaxing Osgood to talk to her. Osgood began to feel light headed; he was hoping his orgasm would come on soon because he feared losing consciousness. Then, just when he thought he wasn’t going to be able to take anymore, he felt the muscles in his stomach begin to tighten. He thrust his hips forward as he finally reached his climax.

“OHHH DAPHNEEEEE!” he cried out as he spilled into the back of her throat. His hands left her hair so he could support himself against the wall.

Daphne pulled his cock from her mouth and swallowed. Osgood was still breathing hard as Daphne went to stand up. When she was at her full height, Osgood wrapped his arms around her waist to support his self. He nuzzled his face into her neck and held her tight. She wrapped her arms around him and moved one hand up to his head to run her fingers through his hair. She could feel his heart beating fast and his heavy breaths on her neck and she giggled.

“How’d I do, Osgood?” she asked like she couldn’t already tell. 

Once Osgood began to catch his breath, he moaned “Phenomenal” into her neck and kissed her on the same spot and then added “You knew just how I wanted to be touched.”

Daphne put her hand underneath his chin and Osgood lifted his head. “That’s because I know how a man likes to be touched.” She spoke softly but with absolute confidence and added “By the way, I love the way you taste.”

And there it was, like Daphne’s transformation was complete; Osgood could sense that she didn’t feel timid anymore and Daphne smiled. She tilted her husband’s chin up and kissed him passionately on the lips while hugging him tight. When she broke the kiss, Osgood laid his head back down on her shoulder and sighed.

“Have I tired you out again?” she asked with a quiet laugh.

“You certainly did, but I’ve never been so happy in my entire life.” He spoke softly and then lifted his head to look at her again.

She cupped his right cheek in her hand and said “I love you, Osgood…so, so much”.

“I love you too, Daphne” Osgood said with the sweetest smile and Daphne couldn’t help but lean in to kiss him again.

When the kiss ended Daphne turned off the water to the shower. She opened the door and reached for their towels, handing Osgood his towel first. Once she grabbed hers, she dried off her lower half quickly and stepped out of the shower. Then she ran the towel through her upper body, her hair and then wrapped it tightly around her waist. 

As Osgood was about to step out, Daphne extended her hand to him. He gladly took it and emerged from the shower with his towel already wrapped around him. After he stepped out, Daphne walked over to the mirror to look at herself. Osgood followed and stood beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Daphne put her left arm around his shoulder and pulled him tight to her while they looked at themselves in the mirror. 

Osgood spoke up “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”

Daphne squeezed his shoulder and declared “I think we make a handsome couple!” 

Daphne put her other hand on her hip and puffed out her chest. Osgood turned his head slightly to look at his wife and smiled so big. He loved her playful side, I mean, that’s part of what drew him to her in the first place. 

“What do you want to do today, baby?” Osgood asked.

Daphne spoke “I want to go out on the town today. I want the world to see you and me; Mr. and Mrs. Fielding. I’m not afraid anymore, Osgood, and I want to shout it from the rooftops! I want the world to know that I love Osgood Fielding III!”

“I think that’s a swell idea! I’ll take you to the best places in town! I’ll show you off to everyone I see and know! I want the world to be envious of my gorgeous wife, my beautiful Daphne.” Osgood said, beaming.

“Could we go dancing too? Maybe find a little roadhouse, blindfold the orchestra and tango til dawn?” Daphne suggested “I promise I’ll let you lead this time.”

“That sounds absolutely wonderful, my darling girl” Osgood sighed in pure happiness “Absolutely wonderful!”


End file.
